Whatcom dairy digester facilities receive portion of $13.8 million WA Commerce investment

7 projects across 5 Washington counties and 1 tribal community, will receive a total of $13,804,000 to build, repair, and upgrade systems that capture methane from dairy manure and other organic waste.

The funding, awarded through the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Dairy Digester Program, aims to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve regional wastewater management.

Local Impact: $1.45 Million Headed to Whatcom County

Among the 7 state-funded projects, 2 Whatcom County operations will receive a combined $1,450,000 to modernize their existing infrastructure:

• FPE Renewables LLC: Awarded $650,000 to upgrade an outdated digester facility. The project includes installing a new 600-kW engine and coupling, an attached generator, heat recovery/management systems, and electrical upgrades.
• Edaleen Cow Power LLC: Awarded $800,000 to upgrade its system with a new 750-kW engine, a connected generator, upgraded heat recovery, a new electrical breaker, an updated panel, and an engine monitoring system.

Boosting Rural Economies and Environmental Health

With nearly 250,000 cow and goat milk animals across Washington, dairy waste represents a substantial environmental challenge. Anaerobic digesters address this by capturing most of the methane from the waste before it escapes into the atmosphere and converts it into energy and nutrient-rich fertilizer.

“These dairy projects cut emissions and boost the resiliency of rural communities,” said Sarah Clifthorne, interim director of the Department of Commerce. “They’re a smart, practical way to deliver cleaner air and water, while creating new economic opportunities for Washington farmers.”

Over the next 10 years, the 7 funded projects are projected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and capture over 7,400 tons of waste runoff.

Statewide Project Awards

In addition to the Whatcom County awards, the Department of Commerce announced the following awards:

• 5D RNG LLC (Franklin County): $2,530,275 for the construction of an anaerobic digester and nutrient recovery facility.
• Tulalip Tribes of Washington (Snohomish County): $4,650,000 to upgrade existing digester facilities, construct a second onsite digester, and install a new centrifuge.
• James Road Dairy (Thurston County): $854,325 for the construction of a cost-effective “cover-and-flare” digester to lower emissions and odors.
• Promus Energy LLC (Yakima County): $3,500,000 for a dairy digester to generate electricity for EV charging, recycle nutrients, and improve water conservation.
• Sunny Dene Ranch LLC (Yakima County): $819,400 for the construction of a cover-and-flare digester to increase nutrient retention.

Funding Framework and Future Outlook

The Legislature initially appropriated $13,200,000 in Climate Commitment Act (CCA) capital funding for the program. After launching a competitive solicitation in October 2025, Commerce received 10 applications requesting more than $18,000,000. The remaining budget gaps were covered using Clean Energy Fund resources.

According to 2021 data from the Washington State Dairy Federation, dairy is the third-largest agricultural commodity in the state, boasting a $1.33 billion annual production value and supporting more than 40,000 jobs.

Looking ahead, an additional $9,700,000 has been allocated for dairy digester projects in the 2026 supplemental budget. Commerce plans to open another round of project solicitations later this year.

Research and Technical Support

To ensure the long-term viability of these systems, the program includes a $500,000 appropriation to the Washington State University (WSU) Energy Program. WSU Extension offices will provide localized technical expertise to help grantees improve digester performance and advance nutrient recovery.

“This investment will help ensure these projects deliver meaningful benefits for farms and communities across Washington,” said WSU Extension Director Vicki McCracken. “This support comes at a critical time, helping producers strengthen the sustainability of operations while meeting economic and environmental goals.”

Whatcom County is home to some of the most notable and historically significant agricultural digesters in the Pacific Northwest. Because the county has a high concentration of dairy farms, local producers partnered with state researchers and engineers to advance the waste-to-energy technology.

1. Vander Haak Dairy Digester (The Historic Pioneer)

• Significance: Built in 2004, the Vander Haak Dairy digester was the very first commercial dairy anaerobic digester in Washington State.
• Innovation: Developed by local engineering firm Andgar/Regenis in collaboration with Washington State University, it was a massive proof-of-concept for the Pacific Northwest. It handles manure from the farm’s own herd plus food waste from regional food processors, converting it into enough electricity to power roughly 400 local homes via Puget Sound Energy.

2. Edaleen Dairy Digester (The High-Profile Modernizer)

• Significance: Commissioned in 2012, this large system at the Edaleen Dairy farm is widely known due to the dairy’s regional brand and retail ice cream stores across Whatcom County.
• Innovation: It is a high-capacity modern system that produces 750 KW of electrical energy, providing enough power to supply roughly 700 homes. It routinely serves as a regional showcase for agricultural sustainability tech for its role in trapping methane emissions and recycling the leftover digestate into clean, pathogen-free fiber bedding for their 1,200+ cows.

3. Farm Power Lynden (The Community Digester)

• Significance: Opened around 2010, this regional “community digester” system was built by Farm Power Northwest using millions in federal rural development grants. [2, 9]
• Innovation: Instead of serving just 1 farm, it was designed to pull manure from multiple independent family dairies in the Lynden area. It processes the waste centrally to generate power for hundreds of homes while piping waste heat to nearby commercial greenhouse growers including Van Wingerden Inc.