RNG NEWS
Stay up to date with the latest stories, insights, and announcements.Airport security package gets thumbs-up from Senate
By Martine Powers with help from Heather Caygle, Lauren Gardner, Annie Snider, and Esther Whieldon, Politico.
04/08/16 - MOVING RIGHT ALONG: Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey’s proposal for secondary cockpit barriers got a quick thumbs-up from the Senate on Thursday, along with a few other smaller items, just before a three-day pause in the action. There's still plenty of work left on the FAA reauthorization bill for next week — a slew of amendments, a bipartisan agreement on an energy tax package — but Sen. John Thune seemed pleased with the bill’s progress so far. “We think it’s a good start,” he told reporters on Thursday afternoon.
NOW HERE’S THE REAL QUESTION: If the Senate’s FAA bill (H.R. 636) is proceeding all hunky-dory, with a bundle of anti-terrorism security provisions to boot, will that be an impetus for the folks on the House side to pass aviation reauthorization, even without air traffic control privatization? “I think the House is probably going to want to act,” Thune said, when asked this question by our own Heather Caygle. “And I think all the good policy that has been included in this bill with respect to security will make it more attractive for them to act, and hopefully they will — irrespective of how that issue gets resolved or sorted out out there — move something that will incorporate a lot of these provisions or similar provisions that we could actually get to the president."
Missouri project ‘a new level’ in manure biogas production
By Karen Uhlenhuth, Midwest Energy News.
This summer, one of the country's largest producers of biogas from animal manure is expected to begin operations in northwest Missouri.
It's a large-scale example of technology that has been slow to take off in the United States, but new federal policy may be changing that.
In 2013, St. Louis-based Roeslein Alternative Energy reached an agreement with pork giant Smithfield Foods to build and operate a system to capture and purify methane from the manure produced by about two million pigs. Smithfield's confinement barns comprise one of the largest hog-feeding facilities in the country, according to Roeslein.
Gaz Métro Welcomes Québec's New Energy Policy 2030
By CNW, Montreal Gazette.
MONTRÉAL, April 7, 2016 - Gaz Métro welcomes Québec's new Energy Policy 2030, unveiled today by Québec Premier Philippe Couillard, accompanied by Pierre Arcand (Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Minister responsible for the Northern Plan and Minister responsible for the Côte-Nord region), Dominique Anglade (Minister of Economy, Science and Innovation and Minister responsible for the Digital Strategy), David Heurtel (Minister of Sustainable Development, the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change), and Geoffrey Kelley (Minister responsible for Native Affairs). "We welcome the vision the government is putting forward in this 'energy of transition' policy to enable us to meet the challenges facing our society by advocating the development of a lower-carbon economy. The government can count on Gaz Métro's collaboration in the implementation of this new policy," said Sophie Brochu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gaz Métro.
With its proven expertise and leadership in energy efficiency, with the use of natural gas instead of higher-emission energy sources—particularly in the industrial, heavy freight and marine transport sectors—and thanks to its ongoing development of its renewable energy portfolio, Gaz Métro is already deploying solutions that meet the energy imperatives of today and tomorrow. The new policy will make it possible to step up the deployment of these initiatives, for example by encouraging the production and distribution of renewable natural gas (biomethane), by improving the Écocamionnage Program, fostering the acquisition of natural gas vehicles and by promoting the use of natural gas as fuel through the deployment of natural gas fuelling points in Quebec.
Maryland Senate passes 25% RPS in clean energy jobs bill
By Robert Walton, Utility Dive.
Dive Brief:
- Maryland senators yesterday voted 31-14 to expand the state's renewable energy goals, boosting targets solar and wind targets to 25% by 2020.
- The higher goals would would make Maryland's renewable target the sixth highest nationally, behind Vermont, California, Hawaii, New York, and Connecticut.
- Though lawmakers in the House approved the measure last month, both chambers will need to take final votes to reconcile differences between bill versions before the measure heads to the desk of Gov. Larry Hogan (R). The governor has not taken a public stance on the bill.
EPA chief: Methane regs will allow ‘sustainable’ fossil fuel use
By Devin Henry, The Hill.
New rules regulating methane emissions from the oil and gas sector will help facilitate more "sustainable" fossil fuel development, President Obama’s top environmental regulator said Thursday.
Speaking in Ottawa alongside Canadian officials, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy said rules cutting down on leaks at oil and gas production sites will help the climate and preserve fossil fuels as a viable source of energy in the future.
Moving on [methane] will reaffirm our leadership on climate. It also will happen to make sure that our ability to continue to rely on fossil fuel will be done in a way that is sustainable, as well," she said in a speech.
Disney, Microsoft, PepsiCo lead business charge on biogas
By Heather Clancy, GreenBiz.
The largest U.S. electric holding company, Duke Energy, in March made its first notable commitment to producing power using biogas.
Duke's deal with developer Carbon Cycle Energy could generate up to 125,000 megawatt-hours of energy using methane gas captured from swine and poultry manure sourced in North Carolina. That’s roughly enough electricity to power about 10,000 homes.
"The gas from this project will generate carbon-neutral electricity compared to the emissions that would result if the waste was left to decay naturally," said David Fountain, the Duke Energy executive behind the 15-year-long partnership.
The wait continues on FAA bill tax extenders deal
By Martine Powers and Heather Caygle with help from Lauren Gardner, Esther Whieldon, and Brian Faler, Politico.
PLAYING THE WAITING GAME: After a day of debate over the FAA reauthorization on the Senate floor, chances remain good that Republicans and Democrats will strike a deal on a package of tax extenders that will allow the bill to garner widespread support. But as the Senate won’t be meeting on Friday, don’t count on a deal being nailed down before next week. As Pro Energy's Esther Whieldon writes, "Senate leaders appear to have the outlines of an agreement in place. … But key questions remain to be answered, including how many energy resources would get the extensions and for how long." Sen. Ron Wyden remained cautiously optimistic on Wednesday — “We’ve been making progress,” he said — and Sen. Orrin Hatch proclaimed that he’s fine with a compromise on the bill’s hangers-on, as long as they’ve got some offsets. "They're going to have to meet certain requisites that I'll require" regarding "budgetary standards," he said. Asked if thatmeant the provisions would have to be paid for: "That's right," he said.
Emerald Brand Shifts to Penske Natural Gas Fueled Trucks
SYOSSET, N.Y. , Apr. 05 /CSRwire/ - Emerald is proud to announce its conversion to Penske Truck Leasing compressed natural gas (CNG) fueled trucks. Emerald’s New York based fleet will move to CNG this month, furthering Emerald’s mission of global conservation and mainstreaming sustainability.
Each year, Emerald drivers deliver thousands of tons of its alternatively sourced, sustainable products to clients around the country. This conversion will greatly reduce the company’s environmental footprint by lessening the amount of gas emissions released into the air as compared to traditional diesel fueled vehicles.
“We are always striving to discover new ways to help the environment and reduce our footprint, and the conversion to CNG fueled trucks was the next sustainable step for our company to help deliver our products to clients in the most environmentally friendly way possible,” said Emerald Brand Managing Director, Jaclyn McDuffey. “Penske Truck Leasing has been a great partner by offering options and guidance in this transition to greener vehicles.”
EPA’s 2016 agenda focused on methane, carbon emissions
By Devin Henry, The Hill.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy will go to Ottawa this week for discussions on U.S.-Canadian climate change strategies, one of the many issues on the EPA’s to-do list between now and the end of the Obama administration.
McCarthy outlined her agenda during a meeting with reporters Tuesday, focusing on implementing existing Obama-era regulations, finalizing others and expanding her focus on international issues before Obama leaves office in January.
The EPA is set to finalize a rule on methane leaks from new oil and gas drilling sites "this spring," McCarthy said. The agency proposed the rule last summer as part of Obama's goal to slash methane emissions by up to 45 percent from 2012 levels over the next decade.
How Colorado Is Turning Food Waste Into Electricity
By Luke Runyon, NPR.
Americans throw away about a third of our available food.
But what some see as trash, others are seeing as a business opportunity. A new facility known as the Heartland Biogas Project is taking wasted food from Colorado's most populous areas and turning it into electricity. Through a technology known as anaerobic digestion, spoiled milk, old pet food and vats of grease combine with helpful bacteria in massive tanks to generate gas.
I went to check out the facility. It's located on a rural road in northern Colorado, situated a stone's throw from big beef cattle feedlots and dairy farms and a short drive from the state's populous, waste-generating urban core.
Follow your nose to know you're in the right place. There's no way around it: The place stinks. The odor is a mix of cow poop and expired produce.
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