Lane County, EPUD select Waga Energy to upgrade landfill gas to RNG

Lane County, Oregon, in partnership with Emerald People’s Utility District (EPUD), has selected Waga Energy to build, own, operate and maintain a renewable natural gas (RNG) production unit at the Short Mountain Landfill in Eugene, Oregon.

Over the past several decades, EPUD, headquartered in Eugene, has generated electricity from landfill gas at the site at a capacity of 3 megawatts. With Waga Energy, a France-based company, generating RNG at the landfill, this will replace the existing engines at the site.

“EPUD is pleased to support this next chapter at the Short Mountain landfill,” Curt Offenbacher, president of the EPUD board of directors, says. “While we’re proud of the contributions we’ve made over the past three decades to generate low-cost electricity and reduce local emissions, we know that Waga Energy can take these efforts to a new level. At the same time, this transaction will protect our customers from future rate increases and allow us to focus on our core mission of providing safe, reliable, low-cost power.”

According to Lane County, which agreed with EPUD’s recommendation, Waga Energy will upgrade the landfill gas into pipeline-quality RNG at the landfill for an initial 25-year period. The plant will utilize WagaBox technology, developed and patented by Waga Energy. Once operational, it is expected process up to 2,000 standard cubic feet per minute of landfill gas and produce about 407,000 million British thermal units (120 gigawatt hours) of RNG annually, delivering gas to the local pipeline.

In addition, the project is expected to reduce up to 31,000 tons of CO₂ equivalent emissions each year due to the displacement of fossil fuels—equivalent to avoiding the CO₂ emissions from 2.7 million gallons of diesel consumed.

“We are excited to begin a new chapter in our decades-long partnership with Emerald People’s Utility District,” says Lane County Commissioner David Loveall. “Working together with Waga Energy will allow us to reduce emissions from the landfill and turn those emissions into renewable fuel. It’s a win for our community and a great example of how public agencies can work together with private companies to create innovative and beneficial solutions.”

Short Mountain Landfill is municipally owned and operated by Lane County and accepts up to 270,000 metric tons of waste annually. EPUD and Lane County anticipate that replacing the existing engines with WagaBox technology will increase overall energy production, lower site emissions and enable the delivery of locally produced RNG that can be transported using existing gas infrastructure.

“We are honored to partner with Lane County and EPUD on this project, which reflects a shared commitment to environmental stewardship and innovative energy solutions,” says Guénaël Prince, co-founder and CEO of Waga Energy Inc. “By transforming landfill gas into high‑quality RNG, we’re not only reducing local greenhouse gas emissions but also providing the community with a reliable, locally produced source of energy. This collaboration demonstrates what’s possible for a local community when a public partner and a technology leader work together to advance a more sustainable future.”