Buffett’s Big Bet on Manure Energy is Gas Industry Greenwashing

For Immediate Release

Amidst the news that two major utilities had abandoned the Atlantic Coast fracked gas pipeline, Berkshire Hathaway mega-investor Warren Buffett announced that he was purchasing the gas infrastructure assets of one of those companies, Dominion Energy. 

As the world moves away from fossil fuels, energy industry observers are speculating about Buffett’s motivation. One possibility is that he is making a big bet on animal waste -- specifically, the dirty business of turning factory farm manure into so-called ‘renewable natural gas.’ 

In response, Food & Water Action Policy Director Mitch Jones released the following statement

“Warren Buffett has made some of his riches from dirty energy, and his $10 billion bet on Dominion’s gas pipelines signals a plan to do more of the same. Big Ag has worked hard to greenwash factory farm animal waste as a source of ‘renewable energy,’ and it would appear that Buffett sees a future in helping this industry peddle this filthy falsehood. 

“Biogas has nothing to do with clean, renewable energy. Building digesters to capture methane from manure lagoons only incentivizes this industry to continue the dirty practices that create horrific air and water pollution. And once fed into pipelines, this so-called ‘renewable’ gas is no different than gas derived from fracking; the inevitable leakage along the pipelines and from other infrastructure will still keep fueling the climate crisis. 

“These are false climate solutions that only prop up disastrous polluters. Utilities and fossil fuel corporations are trying to con people into believing that factory farm waste is clean energy. The real solutions are a ban on factory farms, and a swift, just transition to sustainable agriculture and clean renewable energy.”

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