Sign In
Upcoming Event
Free Newsletter
USDA pauses funding for manure digesters in Idaho, across US
By Suzanne Potter, Northern Rockies News Service//January 27, 2026//
The law firm Earthjustice has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Friends of the Earth against the federal government for withholding public records on REAP dollars going to manure digesters. (PHOTO: DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM)
USDA pauses funding for manure digesters in Idaho, across US
By Suzanne Potter, Northern Rockies News Service//January 27, 2026//
Groups that focus on the environment and small farms are praising a decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to pause and review funding for systems that produce natural gas from manure at industrial livestock operations.
At a Glance:
- USDA pauses and reviews REAP funding for manure-based biogas systems
- Environmental groups challenge support for digesters at factory farms
- Critics cite increased air and water pollution from anaerobic digesters
- Small farm advocates push for renewable energy like on-farm solar
The move comes a week after a coalition filed a rulemaking petition asking that factory farms be ineligible for grants and loans for anaerobic digesters under the Rural Energy for America program, known as REAP.
The Environmental Protection Agency lists 10 anaerobic digesters in Idaho in its database, with two that received USDA funding. Tyler Lobdell, senior staff attorney for Food & Water Watch said factory farm bio-gas digesters do produce energy, but carry high environmental costs.
“They increase water and air pollution, and they encourage factory farms to get bigger, which increases the overall pollution load that a rural community has to deal with,” Lobdell said. “We are adding industrial gas production on top of these already very large and pretty industrialized facilities.”
In a statement, the Renewable Natural Gas Coalition said the digesters “reduce methane emissions from manure management, improve water and air quality, enable production of renewable natural gas, and support grid reliability.”
Lobdell said the limited REAP program funds would be better spent on projects like solar arrays on small farms, which don’t produce enough manure to merit a multi-million dollar digester.
“This type of gas production adds yet another market lever against small-scale local farming,” Lobdell said, “and in favor of multinational, Big Ag corporations having further consolidation in our ag system.”
According to one estimate, Idaho has 19 renewable natural gas, or RNG, facilities.
This story was provided by Northern Rockies News Service, a bureau of the Public News Service.
