Transforming Sacramento Waste Into Clean Energy & Rich Soil
Discover how pyrolysis and biochar can help SMUD reach its 2030 Zero Carbon goal while cutting urban water use and protecting local river ecosystems.
Contact Your SMUD DirectorHow Pyrolysis Benefits Our Communities
Water Savings for Gardens
Biochar—the solid output of pyrolysis—acts as a soil sponge. Applied to Sacramento gardens and urban parks, it retains up to 20% more moisture, saving water during hot Valley summers.
Biochar holds water in the root zone where plants need it, cutting irrigation demand through the hottest months — directly easing pressure on municipal supplies.
Healthier soil also means less fertilizer runoff into local waterways and more rainfall soaking in to recharge aquifers, instead of running off.
Solutions for Ag Waste
Instead of open-field burning or landfill decay, orchard removals and crop residues in South County can be converted into valuable soil builders and clean energy.
South County generates steady streams of orchard removals and crop residues. Today much of it is open-burned — hurting air quality — or landfilled, where it decays into methane.
Pyrolysis turns that waste liability into two assets: biochar for local soils and clean syngas for energy, while giving the region's air a break.
SMUD Zero Carbon 2030
Pyrolysis processes organic biomass in oxygen-free chambers, capturing atmospheric carbon permanently while producing clean syngas or hydrogen for grid stability.
SMUD's 2030 Zero Carbon goal needs firm, dispatchable clean power — not just intermittent sources. Syngas and hydrogen from pyrolysis can help stabilize the grid when the sun isn't shining.
Unlike composting or burning, which return CO₂ to the atmosphere, carbon locked in biochar stays sequestered in soil permanently — a genuine carbon-negative energy pathway built from local feedstock.
Message Your SMUD Board Director
Enter your Sacramento County ZIP code to identify your ward representative and send a letter supporting pyrolysis innovation.
Your Representative: ()
Coverage Areas:
Your email app didn't open?
Copy the message below and send it to PublicComment@smud.org from your own email: