Deschutes County Projects Target Energy Use, Methane Emissions
Published: 5:00 am Saturday, October 10, 2026
Deschutes County is addressing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by targeting methane emissions from landfills, gas-powered lawn equipment, and aging buildings.
Key Initiatives
At the Knott Landfill in Bend, the county’s Solid Waste Department is collaborating with Cascade Natural Gas Corp. to develop a renewable natural gas facility. This project involves installing 44 additional vertical gas wells to capture methane emissions from waste decomposition.
Currently, the landfill flares gas from existing wells. The new process will clean this gas, removing contaminants before it enters a pipeline for local consumption, reducing methane released into the atmosphere in the process.
Jeff Merwin, head of the Deschutes County Solid Waste Department, emphasized the environmental benefits: “The contaminant reduction process is a closed system with greater environmental controls compared to the current process of flaring the gas.”
Additionally, the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center in Redmond has implemented energy conservation projects that have successfully reduced electricity use by 3.6% and natural gas use by 0.3% over the past year.
Further Efforts
The county is also integrating energy-efficient measures in building projects, transitioning from gas-powered equipment to battery alternatives, and utilizing fuel-efficient vehicles and technology to cut down fuel use and vehicle trips.
Moreover, Deschutes County has a program to assist property owners in financing energy-efficiency and renewable energy projects that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
County Administrator Nick Lelack highlighted the county’s commitment: “We’re pursuing grants and rebates, upgrading systems when it pencils out, and making common-sense operational changes that improve efficiency without compromising service.”
This summary encapsulates the primary actions and goals of Deschutes County regarding energy use and greenhouse gas emissions reduction efforts. Let me know if you would like more detailed information on any specific project or initiative.
