Europe’s farmers stir up biogas to offset Russian energy

SONCHAMP, France (AP) — In lush fields southwest of Paris, farmers are joining Europe’s fight to free itself from Russian gas. They’ll soon turn on a new facility where crops and waste are fermented to produce “biogas.” It’s among energy solutions being explored as the continent works to choke off funding for Russian gas amid the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine. Rural gas plants that provide energy for hundreds or thousands of homes nearby won’t soon supplant Russian supplies. And critics of using crops to make gas argue that farmers should instead be concentrating on growing food. But biogas use could double this year in France and it’s one part of the puzzle of how to reduce Europe’s energy dependence on Russia.