At the Fond du Lac wastewater treatment plant, the future of new renewable energy is on the horizon.Cody Schoepke is the plant's general manager. He says he is excited about the project, which has been many years in the making." I've been with the city for 11 years now," Schoepke said. "And they were talking about it when I started."Schoepke said the $32 million project will add a biosolids dryer, storage area and a system to turn raw biogas into renewable natural gas which the city can then sell.Once the renewable natural gas rig is completed, it will be a unique first for Wisconsin."We are the first in the state for a wastewater treatment plant to be producing renewable natural gas and injecting it into the pipeline," Schoepke said.WATCH JACK PORTER'S FULL BROADCAST STORY HERE: Fond du Lac wastewater treatment facility undergoes $32M upgradesBiogas is derived from human waste, which can be filtered and turned into renewable natural gas. When it comes to biosolids, the non-gas elements will be put through a giant oven.Schoepke says they will safely turn waste into DNR safe pellets for fertilizer."Historically we have worked with farmers to land apply it," Schoepke said. "Weather and season permitting."He adds if they didn't have the dryer and expanded storage, excess waste would meet a less sustainable fate."When we were unable to go to land with it, we ended up going to the landfill," Schoepke said.Andy Frank, the project manager with C.D. Smith Construction, says he is seeing an increase in projects pertaining to biosolids in Wisconsin."We are currently doing several around the state," Frank said. "As well as obviously this one here in the city of Fond du Lac."Schoepke says there has been good progress since this past spring and they expect to be finished with the project around the end of 2026. ...read more read less