WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that five energy service companies have been selected to use performance-based contracts to reduce energy use, manage utility costs, and promote renewable energy at federal facilities by using biomass and alternative methane energy sources.

Biomass includes dedicated energy crops and trees, agricultural crop residues, aquatic plants, wood and wood residues, animal wastes, and other organic waste materials. Alternative methane is generated in landfills, wastewater treatment plants, and coalbeds.

Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham said that the contracts “encourage innovative, biobased energy technologies to reduce federal energy consumption, without cost to the American taxpayers. Our goal is to make bioenergy cost-competitive with traditional energy sources.”