AB 2100 will improve incentives available through the Alternative Manure Management Program
SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael) introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 2100 in partnership with the California Climate and Agriculture Network (CalCAN). The bill helps ensure California’s dairies can implement and scale up practical alternative manure management strategies to achieve the state’s climate and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals.
“I am proud to introduce AB 2100 to support our dairy farmers in their adoption of more sustainable practices,” said Assemblymember Connolly. “California dairy farmers are struggling to survive, let alone adopt new strategies to reduce methane emissions. This bill helps our local farmers to transition to sustainable practices like composting that can help reduce emissions and improve water quality.”
“AMMP is an underutilized but proven tool that helps reduce methane emissions while delivering valuable co-benefits for dairies,” said Colton Fagundes, CalCAN Associate Policy Director. “This bill strengthens the program and improves the state’s ability to achieve its climate goals.”
The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP), established in 2017, provides support for dairies to upgrade to lower-emission manure management systems that often produce compost. AMMP has played an important role in progress toward California’s 2030 methane reduction target, and a recent analysis shows the program has even greater potential. Wider adoption of these alternative manure management practices could result in significant methane reductions, significant improvements in water quality, and significant contributions towards the state’s healthy soils and organic acreage targets.
This bill would convene a task force to analyze the role of alternative manure management in achieving California’s climate and environmental goals and to recommend improvements to state
plans and incentive programs. This bill would also convene relevant permitting agencies to develop a clearer and more efficient process for approving new and expanded manure composting projects.
Dairies across California face economic hardship due to a combination of factors, including, low milk prices. Scaling up alternative manure management practices can help dairies reduce their emissions, regulatory uncertainty, and improve soil and water health.
Statewide demand for AMMP has consistently outpaced funding by an average of 200-300 percent, signaling strong interest and a clear need to strengthen the program to meet on-the-ground demand. In Marin and Sonoma counties, dairies have shown strong demand for the AMMP program, as over one-third (35%) of the counties’ dairies have applied for AMMP grants. To date, 14 of those dairies have received AMMP grants worth a total of $8 million, which are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 39,323 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
AB 2100 bridges that gap in demand by taking steps to improve state planning and support for alternative manure management strategies while addressing barriers to project approvals.
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Assemblymember Connolly represents the entirety of Marin County and Southern Sonoma County