Renewable Natural Gas: A Swiss Army Knife for US Decarbonization?
The energy transition is underway. Corporations and policymakers are embarking on ambitious decarbonization journeys to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Renewable natural gas (RNG) emerges as an alternative fuel that could contribute to substantial emissions reductions across multiple industries.
At present, fossil natural gas — which comprises 95% methane, 5% ethane, and trace amounts of other hydrocarbons — is the second largest source of primary energy in the United States, responsible for 33% of the country’s energy consumption in 2021. And in the last decade, natural gas consumption has grown by approximately 2% per year.