UC Davis researchers and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) need local food processors and large food-servers, such as restaurants, to take part in a survey on turning food leftovers into electricity.

The Leftovers to Lights Project is looking for interested businesses in the city of Sacramento that would like to participate in the survey. Surveys are anticipated to take less than one hour to complete. Businesses that could take part include commercial food processors, restaurants, bakeries, hospitals and hotels.

Using a system under development by UC Davis engineering professor Ruihong Zhang, food waste can be turned into methane, which can be used to generate electricity, replacing fossil fuels. Wastewater treatment plants have been using this proven technology for more than a century.

Food waste comprises roughly 18 percent of Sacramento's commercial garbage. Diverting food waste from local landfills also can help reduce air and water pollution, and may help businesses reduce the size of their trash bins, possibly reducing disposal costs.

Interested business people should contact SMUD program manager Ruth MacDougall at (916) 732-6625.