Michigan State University is positioning itself at the forefront of waste management and clean energy solutions through its pioneering work in anaerobic digestion—a biological process that breaks down organic waste to produce renewable energy and nutrient-rich byproducts.
As policymakers and industry leaders seek strategies to address nutrient runoff, energy transition, and waste sustainability in the Great Lakes region, MSU’s Anaerobic Digestion Research and Education Center (ADREC) is emerging as a national model. The university’s research highlights how livestock manure and food waste can be converted into biogas for energy production, while also recovering nutrients and protecting local ecosystems.
Anaerobic digestion produces biogas—mainly methane and carbon dioxide—that can be used to generate electricity or refined into renewable natural gas. The process also yields digestate, a byproduct that can be used as fertilizer with fewer pathogens and odors than raw manure. At MSU’s South Campus facility, roughly 15,000 gallons of animal and food waste are processed daily, producing 6,500 kilowatt-hours of electricity and a comparable volume of digestate. This byproduct is land-applied across 1,000 acres of farmland using data-driven nutrient management to limit environmental impacts.
Environmental monitoring over more than a decade has shown no evidence of groundwater contamination, reinforcing the system’s safety when managed according to state guidelines. With growing public concern over contaminants such as PFAS, pharmaceuticals, and microplastics, MSU researchers are also studying how these substances behave during and after the digestion process.
In addition to its operational facility, MSU is expanding its research capacity with the construction of a $30 million Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center. The new facility, supported by state funding, is expected to enhance the university’s ability to explore advanced nutrient recovery technologies and their application in dairy systems.
The economic and environmental potential of anaerobic digestion in Michigan is considerable. With more than 11 million dry tons of livestock manure and over 3 million dry tons of food waste generated annually, researchers estimate these waste streams could produce 2–4% of Michigan’s electricity or replace 10–15% of the state’s gasoline use with renewable natural gas. Broader adoption could also stimulate more than $1.27 billion in capital investments and create thousands of jobs, according to the American Biogas Council.
As Michigan grapples with water quality concerns and energy demands, MSU’s work is offering scalable, science-based solutions that support agricultural sustainability, energy independence, and environmental protection across the Great Lakes region.
