Statement from Johannes Escudero, CEO, the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas
Regarding EPA’s Report 341491
June 29, 2018 - Johannes Escudero, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition), issued the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) report on the environmental impact of the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS):
“The Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) industry provides over 95% of the cellulosic biofuel used in the RFS program. Redeeming society’s refuse for productive end-use epitomizes sustainability. The cellulosic biofuel being produced by North America’s RNG industry is good for the environment.”
“It’s worth noting that EPA acknowledges it did not consider lifecycle greenhouse gas emission impacts of biofuel for this report, which is incongruous considering that a biofuel’s eligibility for the RFS is evaluated by considering its lifecycle GHG benefits. EPA’s lifecycle analysis distinguishes renewable natural gas transportation fuel from all sources as among the biofuels with the most environmental benefit.”
“RNG production facilities capture methane emissions that would otherwise be flared or escape into the atmosphere from waste streams at landfills, wastewater treatment facilities, and anaerobic digesters and convert the methane into a fuel that is interchangeable with conventional natural gas. RNG is transported inter- and intra- state using existing natural gas pipeline infrastructure, and is used to fuel natural gas vehicles, such as municipal bus fleets and waste haulers.”
“The production and utilization of RNG as a transportation fuel not only helps mitigate methane emissions, it also helps sequester carbon from certain sources. Replacing diesel engines with natural gas engines fueled by RNG achieves an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. RNG is already accepted in the marketplace and is a win-win if you are advocating for both a clean environment and clean economy today.”
About the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas
The RNG Coalition is the trade association for the RNG industry, representing over 130 companies and organizations that are involved in production, distribution and marketing of RNG in North America. Over 95% of the fuel produced and consumed to meet the RFS program’s cellulosic biofuel requirement is RNG.