November 25, 2019: The BMW Group and California’s Straus Organic Dairy Farm have announced a partnership that will reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from farming while simultaneously delivering the cleanest possible fuel to electric vehicle (EV) drivers in California.
A methane biodigester at Straus Organic Dairy Farm captures methane from cow manure, which would otherwise enter the atmosphere as a powerful greenhouse gas. This methane is transformed into renewable energy, which is exported to the public power grid, replacing the need for fossil fuels. By delivering a ‘double’ emissions reduction, biodigesters can produce electricity that has negative carbon intensity, according the California Air Resources Board.
“With the current climate change crisis; the relationship that we’re forging with BMW is essential,” said Albert Straus, founder and CEO of Straus Family Creamery. “In addition to being a great collaboration, we are developing the blueprint for a model that can generate revenue for other farmers throughout California.”
Over the coming years, the BMW Group anticipates that the renewable energy generated by partnerships like this will equal the electricity needs of every BMW and MINI electric vehicle in the state of California.
For the BMW Group, this initiative is a further step in facilitating the use of renewable energy for electric vehicles. The BMW ChargeForward pilot program, which operates in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, makes it possible for participating owners to charge their vehicles with as much solar energy as possible, while also helping the stability of the public electricity grid.
