WM Opens $78 Million Renewable Natural Gas Facility in Okeechobee

WM has announced the opening of a new renewable natural gas (RNG) facility in Okeechobee, FL. The $78 million Okeechobee RNG Facility is expected to generate approximately 1.5 million MMBtu per year of RNG, which has the potential to power the equivalent of up to 37,000 average U.S. households or 1,300 heavy duty vehicles, potentially avoiding about 80,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.

The RNG produced flows into the Florida Southeast Connection (FSC) pipeline and the WM Okeechobee CNG station pulls natural gas to power its fleet from the same pipeline system.

“WM is proud to bring more renewable energy to our Florida communities as part of our continued sustainability growth strategy,” said David Myhan, area vice president, WM Florida. “Not only has this project helped bolster the local economy by creating jobs, but it also expands WM’s ability to capture and transform landfill gas into a lower-emission energy source that can power communities and even a portion of our own natural gas truck fleet.”

The Okeechobee RNG Facility processes landfill gas captured from the WM Okeechobee Landfill as organic material decomposes to create RNG. Today, WM owns or hosts more than 20 RNG facilities at its landfills that convert landfill gas into pipeline-quality RNG. The RNG that WM produces is pushed directly into natural gas pipelines, providing a lower-emission energy source for communities across North America.

WM has been a renewable energy player for nearly 40 years. This facility is part of WM’s enterprise-wide plans to invest more than $1.6 billion in building 20 new, WM-owned renewable natural gas facilities from 2022 through 2026.