Accounting firm Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP and the Wisconsin State Energy Office (SEO) have partnered to develop an action plan aimed at assisting dairy farms and cheese-making facilities reduce waste, reduce land spreading, curb impacts on local wastewater facilities and harness available energy sources. The goal was to create a win-win situation for Wisconsin’s cheese makers and dairy farmers by demonstrating that waste, as an alternative energy source, can generate new sources of revenue and support operational growth.

“Converting waste from these facilities for renewable energy applications may provide a meaningful tool as part of the state’s future energy mix in the areas of heat and power generation,” says Tom Unke, leader of Baker Tilly’s energy and utility practice.

The outcome of this collaboration demonstrates that alternative waste water treatment options can be economical, feasible and financially viable in certain scenarios.

The report’s conclusions communicate actionable opportunities and provide a set of tools for identifying waste-reducing energy applications within the state. The report also identifies substantial room for growth based on current estimates of available waste in the state.

These tools, along with a complete findings report, can be accessed through the Baker Tilly website.

Click here to access the report and toolkit.

This same analysis and set of tools can be developed for other states.

Additionally, Baker Tilly partnered with the University of Wisconson – Oshkosh to acquire, implement and maintain testing equipment to be utilized at the university’s Environmental Research and Innovation Center.

This facility will test outputs from waste generated at dairy farms and cheese-making facilities and will be shared by the entire state and should include both lab testing and field testing capabilities. PD

—From Baker Tilly news release