Ameresco Begins Construction of Biogas Cogeneration Project in Sacramento, California

Project will use biogas produced by the largest inland sewage discharger west of the Mississippi River—the EchoWater Resource Recovery Facility—to generate heat and power.

April 08, 2024 08:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. & SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ameresco, Inc., (NYSE: AMRC), a leading cleantech integrator specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy, today announced it entered a nearly $140M contract to develop and construct an advanced technology biogas cogeneration facility for the Sacramento Area Sewer District located at the EchoWater Resource Recovery Facility (EchoWater Facility) near Elk Grove, California.

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This on-site renewable energy facility will beneficially utilize biogas (methane), a byproduct of the EchoWater Facility’s solids treatment process, to produce renewable electricity and heat for the EchoWater Facility through an integrated 13.4 MW cogeneration plant that will utilize fuel cell and engine technology. By incorporating the fuel cell system, the project will have exceptional efficiency and reduced pollutant emissions, making it a clean, reliable baseload dispatchable resource. Additionally, the system will allow for the expandability to produce hydrogen in the future.

“SacSewer is committed to being a leader in environmental stewardship. Through our sustainable efforts in resource recovery, we maximize the reuse of treatment process by-products such as biogas,” shared Christoph Dobson, SacSewer’s General Manager. “This project is yet another example of how we’re working every day to fulfill our mission of protecting public health and the environment by collecting, treating, and recovering resources from sewage.”

“We are thrilled to partner with SacSewer, supporting their efforts to optimize the use of the biogas that is generated as a byproduct of the sewage treatment process,” said Michael Bakas, Executive Vice President of Ameresco. “Capturing and repurposing biogenic methane, that is already in our environment and produced by society, to displace fossil fuel is a powerful example of the circular economy in action, where waste is not discarded, but turned into a valuable asset. This voluntary act by SacSewer, backed by a material investment into this advanced renewable energy center, speaks volumes to their commitment to our environment and their surrounding community.”

Construction of the new facility is expected to be completed by July 2026.

To learn more about the energy efficiency solutions offered by Ameresco, visit www.ameresco.com/energy-efficiency/.

About Ameresco, Inc.

Founded in 2000, Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC) is a leading cleantech integrator and renewable energy asset developer, owner and operator. Our comprehensive portfolio includes solutions that help customers reduce costs, decarbonize to net zero, and build energy resiliency while leveraging smart, connected technologies. From implementing energy efficiency and infrastructure upgrades to developing, constructing, and operating distributed energy resources – we are a trusted sustainability partner. Ameresco has successfully completed energy saving, environmentally responsible projects with Federal, state and local governments, utilities, healthcare and educational institutions, housing authorities, and commercial and industrial customers. With its corporate headquarters in Framingham, MA, Ameresco has more than 1,500 employees providing local expertise in North America and Europe. For more information, visit www.ameresco.com.

About the Sacramento Area Sewer District

The Sacramento Area Sewer District (SacSewer) is the Sacramento region’s largest sewage collection, treatment, and resource recovery utility—providing service to more than 1.6 million people. They are the second largest sewage collection utility in California, and they own and operate the second largest water resource recovery facility of its kind in the nation—the EchoWater Resource Recovery Facility located near Elk Grove. Learn more at sacsewer.com.

The announcement of a customer’s entry into a project contract is not necessarily indicative of the timing or amount of revenue from such contract, of the company’s overall revenue for any particular period or of trends in the company’s overall total project backlog. This project was included in our previously reported awarded backlog as of December 31, 2023.