Forget the Noise: Biomethane a Global Tool To Cut Emissions and Boost Energy Security
Over the last 40-plus years, the United States and Canada have positioned themselves as world leaders in renewable natural gas (RNG) — a sustainable and reliable gaseous fuel derived from the captured emissions of biological waste. The North American RNG portfolio has grown considerably from the first commercial RNG facility at a landfill in Staten Island, New York, in 1982, to more than 300 facilities operating at year-end 2022 at landfills, dairies and nearly anywhere else biological waste is found.
But, according to a small and noisy band of political advocacy groups, RNG is a brand-new marketing pitch cooked up by US energy interests. If you’ve recently paid attention to RNG-conducive policy progress occurring in several US states, you’ve likely heard some spurious claims of “greenwashing” lobbed at RNG operators and utilities supporting the safe and responsible use of renewable gas as a means of addressing societal waste and emissions.
To those working in RNG, these claims are head-scratching. While RNG may be newly popular — and urgently necessary — it is far from new, or mere marketing fodder. Looking from a global perspective, we know that climate-smart governments around the world, not just in North America, are embracing methane capture and utilization as one way to achieve the net-zero goals outlined in the Paris Agreement.