GILBERT, Ariz. » Officials in a Phoenix suburb are considering a plan that would turn dog waste collected from an area park into an energy source.

Don’t pooh-pooh the idea before you hear it out.

The Arizona Republic reports that students from Arizona State University would design and create a "dog waste digester" that the city of Gilbert could use to turn pet leavings into methane gas that in turn generates power.

The proposed project would use the new energy source to run a street lamp first, and possibly other uses later.