Elizabeth Cousins Discusses Market Sounding for San Diego County Biogas Recovery Project

Elizabeth Cousins was quoted in the Inframation article “San Diego Explores Private Financing for Biogas Recovery.” The piece examines the market sounding issued by the East County Advanced Water Purification (East County AWP) Joint Powers Authority (JPA) that explores private financing options for an energy recovery project.

Commenting on the proposed project, Elizabeth said the project “aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and assist with local climate action plans and sustainability.”

The JPA is exploring two approaches to the project: (i) design, build, permitting and long term O&M of a combined heat and power facility with the potential for addition of high strength waste and (ii) design, build and long terms O&M utilizing private financing and also selling renewable natural gas created from the solid waste to local utilities.

Discussing the approaches, Elizabeth said, “Some of the factors [being considered] are whether there is a significantly higher economic benefit to the JPA and the private partner to warrant a more complicated procurement and contractual structure; the level of revenue risk the private sector may be willing to take with respect to RNG; and project complexities and size.”

She added that the U.S. could see more of these types of projects. “With various levels of government in the U.S. adopting sustainability mandates, other cities, counties and municipal agencies with existing solids handling facilities may consider similar projects as they are looking for ways to adopt more sustainable business and commercial practices.”

Elizabeth serves as lead outside infrastructure counsel for the JPA on the project.