RNG NEWS
Stay up to date with the latest stories, insights, and announcements.Study finds Low-Carbon Gas Fuels NEW Option for Meeting California's GHG Reduction Goals
By the Southern California Gas Company, MarketWatch.
As California policymakers move toward environmentally focused energy goals, including increased reliance on renewable sources, a new study by Energy Environmental Economics (E3) consulting suggests that low-carbon gas fuels are a viable option for meeting California's greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals and can simultaneously help achieve pollution emission reduction targets.
Low-carbon gas fuels or "decarbonized gas" refers to gaseous fuels with a net-zero, or very low, greenhouse gas impact on the climate. These include fuels such as biogas, hydrogen and renewable synthetic gases produced with low lifecycle GHG emission approaches.
Biogas facility improves efficiency
By Dale Mickle, Construction Equipment Guide.
Napoleon Biogas LLC, based in Napoleon, Ohio, is the first commercial biogas (methane, or CH4) plant to generate renewable electricity in Ohio; the plant went online in January 2014.
Using anaerobic digestion, a biological process that occurs when bacteria break down organic material in the absence of oxygen, the facility produces biogas, which can be used to generate energy in the place of traditional fossil fuels. With the capacity to digest 450 tons (408 t) of organic waste material each day, the plant provides an outlet to divert organic waste from landfills, while also producing renewable electricity.
Bill to encourage use of natural gas vehicles
By Zack Koppang, Shale Plays Media.
North Dakota lawmakers have introduced a bill that will provide incentives to vehicles powered by natural gas and the required fueling stations, reports The Bismarck Tribune.
If passed, House Bill 1446 would set aside $1 million for sharing the costs of the construction of natural gas fueling stations and $3 million for helping to convert vehicles to utilize natural gas rather than diesel fuel or gasoline. Robert Moffitt of North Dakota Clean Cities Coalition, an organization that advocates the use of natural gas as a fuel source, said, “I think it’s a terrific step forward in North Dakota realizing its potential for natural gas vehicles.”
Renewable fuels supporters launch campaign
By James Q. Lynch, the Gazette.
Gov. Terry Branstad has joined promoters of Iowa’s multibillion dollar renewable fuel industry to launch a campaign to educate potential 2016 presidential candidates on the benefits of the Renewable Fuel Standard.
The bipartisan effort, led by former Democratic Lt. Gov. Patty Judge and former Republican Rep. Annette Sweeney, will be a multimillion dollar effort to target candidates and caucusgoers alike.
“Americans of both parties know that a robust RFS creates jobs in America, reduces our dependency on foreign oil and offers more consumer choice,” Branstad said at a Statehouse news conference Thursday. Industry groups said renewable fuels accounted for about $5.6 billion in economic activity or about 4 percent of the state GDP.
CALIFORNIA: Natural gas role in state's low-carbon future comes with caveats
By Anne Mulkern, E&E.
The head of the California agency keeping the state on track to meet its ambitious climate goals didn't rule out the long-term use of natural gas yesterday but said she also sees caveats on the horizon.
California Air Resources Board Chairwoman Mary Nichols, speaking at the VerdeXchange 2015 conference here, rejected the premise of the panel she was on, dubbed "Natural Gas -- Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution?" ARB is "fuel neutral," she said, when the agency looks at cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The Golden State aims to shrink those to 1990 levels by 2020, and 80 percent below 1990's point by 2050.
The Carbon Calculus
By Kim Moore, Oregon Business.
A year and a half ago, Steve Clem, a vice president at global construction company Skanska, testified at the Oregon legislature in support of a bill to fund a study analyzing a state carbon tax. That study, “Carbon Tax and Shift,” written by the Northwest Economic Research Center at Portland State University and released in March 2013, set in motion a debate about whether the state should institute a mechanism for putting a price on carbon emissions.
Last year the legislature passed SB306, setting aside money for the research institute to redo the study with more geographic and industry specificity. The new research, released on December 8, 2014, lays the groundwork for lawmakers to consider a bill to create a carbon tax. If enacted, Oregon would be the first jurisdiction in the United States to have a statewide tax on carbon emissions.
Potential low carbon fuel supply to the Pacific Coast region of North America
By the International Council on Clean Transportation.
This study investigates the potential to meet the fuel carbon goals of four jurisdictions of the Pacific Coast region, simultaneously. California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, British Columbia’s Low Carbon Fuel Requirements, and Oregon and Washington’s proposed Clean Fuel Standards all seek to reduce the carbon intensity of vehicle fuels over time.
California’s and British Columbia’s policies call for a 10% reduction in carbon intensity by 2020, to be accomplished through displacing gasoline and diesel by lower-carbon renewable fuels and shifting the composition of the vehicle fleet toward alternative fuel vehicles.
President Touts Domestic Energy in SOTU
By Cindy Zimmerman, DomesticFuel.com.
“We are as free from the grip of foreign oil as we’ve been in almost 30 years,” said President Barack Obama in the first few minutes of his 2015 State of the Union address Tuesday evening.
“We believed we could reduce our dependence on foreign oil and protect our planet,” said Obama. “And today, America is number one in oil and gas. America is number one in wind power. Every three weeks, we bring online as much solar power as we did in all of 2008. And thanks to lower gas prices and higher fuel standards, the typical family this year should save about $750 at the pump.”
Orange County Landfill Taps Methane for Power
By Gillian Flaccus, Associated Press.
When most Californians think about the source of renewable energy flowing into their homes, they picture wind turbines and solar panels — not garbage.
The little-known source of electricity has flowed into California’s power grid for decades, but a groundbreaking Thursday for yet another trash-driven power project at a massive Orange County landfill could be one of the last on the books. With the evaporation of tax credits and grants and dropping natural gas prices, the waste pit near Irvine is one of the last in the nation that’s large enough to generate enough power to be profitable.
California Energy Commission seeks comments on RPS Eligibility Guidebook (8th Edition)
By, the Coalition For Renewable Natural Gas.
The California Energy Commission is seeking written public comments on the Staff Draft Renewables Portfolio Standard Eligibility Guidebook, also known as RPS Guidebook, Eighth Edition.
The RPS Guidebook describes the eligibility requirements and process for certifying renewable resources as eligible for California’s RPS and describes how the Energy Commission verifies compliance with the RPS.
The RPS Guidebook is revised periodically to reflect statutory, market and regulatory developments and to respond to lessons learned through implementing the RPS program.
Written comments must be submitted to the Dockets Unit by 5 p.m. Feb. 17. See the Notice Requesting Public Comments for complete information on submitting comments.
The Staff Draft RPS Guidebook is available for review in a clean version, showing changes in gray highlight, and underline/strikeout format.
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