Inclusion of waste heat and pressure recovery in federal rural energy policy would help farms, rural businesses, and industrial operators convert wasted energy into electricity
CYPRESS, Calif., May 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sapphire Technologies, a leading manufacturer of pressure energy recovery solutions, applauds the House passage of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, which includes provisions recognizing waste energy recovery technologies in federal energy policy.
The provisions build on the Waste Heat to Wattage Act of 2026, bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico and U.S. Representative Jim Baird of Indiana. The legislation would update the Rural Energy for America Program, known as REAP, to include waste energy recovery as an eligible renewable energy source.
Waste energy recovery technologies generate electricity from heat or pressure that would otherwise be vented, released, throttled, or discharged from commercial, residential, or industrial processes. For rural businesses, farms, manufacturers, and energy infrastructure operators, the proposed statutory inclusion of waste energy recovery technologies in REAP would create a new pathway to deploy subsidized efficiency technologies and reduce operating costs. REAP provides agriculture producers and small businesses with grants of up to $1 million or loan guarantees to deploy energy projects in rural communities.
“Sapphire Technologies has long advocated for greater visibility of waste pressure recovery as a practical and cost-effective energy resource,” said Freddie Sarhan, CEO of Sapphire Technologies. “We applaud the House for advancing this language that would recognize the impact turboexpanders can have in strengthening rural energy systems and helping businesses generate power from energy that would otherwise be lost.”
Sapphire’s FreeSpin® In-line Turboexpander systems are designed to convert excess pressure from natural gas infrastructure into electricity without combustion or additional fuel. The same expansion process can also produce low-temperature thermal cooling that can be used in heat exchange applications, delivering integrated power and cooling capacity to rural communities.
“Rural America has significant untapped energy resources embedded in the infrastructure that already serves farms, businesses, and industrial facilities,” Sarhan added. “Policy that supports waste energy recovery can help operators turn those resources into new power, lower operating costs, and strengthen energy resilience without requiring new fuel consumption. We’ll continue to monitor the legislation as it moves to the Senate and advocate for policies that support energy recovery, distributed generation, and the deployment of practical technologies that improve the performance of existing infrastructure.”
About Sapphire Technologies
Sapphire Technologies develops and manufactures modular power generation and cooling solutions for data centers, gas infrastructure, and utilities. Since 2021, Sapphire’s FreeSpin® In-line Turboexpanders have been deployed in the energy sector to deliver reliable, clean generation. Scalable from kilowatt- to megawatt-class installations, Sapphire’s systems help infrastructure owners rapidly add new power and cooling capacity, improve operational efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and lower electricity costs while creating new revenue opportunities. For more information, visit www.sapphiretechnologies.com.
Media Contact:
Lara Schembri, Senior Account Manager, Kite Hill for Sapphire Technologies
lara@kitehillpr.com
