RNG NEWS
Stay up to date with the latest stories, insights, and announcements.GAO says feds should strengthen federal-land methane accounting
By Timothy Cama, The Hill.
The Interior Department needs to take numerous steps to improve the way it measures methane emissions from oil and natural gas wells on federal land, a watchdog report found.
The Government Accountability Office found numerous problems and inconsistencies in the instructions the Bureau of Land Management gives to companies to report their methane emissions.
"As a result of these limitations, Interior may not have a consistent accounting of natural gas emissions from onshore federal leases, and does not have the information it needs to reasonably ensure it is minimizing waste on these leases," the report said.
Report features data on EU pellet, biogas markets
By Erin Voegele, Biomass Magazine.
A report recently filed with the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service’s Global Agricultural Information Network provides an overview of the European Union’s biofuel market, including data on wood pellets and biogas.
Regarding pellets, the report explains that the EU is the world’s largest wood pellet market, with approximately 20.5 million metric tons of pellets consumed in 2015, with approximately 65 percent of that volume used for heat and 35 percent for power. Demand is expected to increase to 22.5 million metric tons in 2017. The EU currently accounts for approximately 75 percent of the global market for wood pellets. The EU is also the world’s biggest producer of pellets, featuring approximately 50 percent of global production. When compared to North American pellet plants, however, EU plants are primarily small- or medium-sized.
Republican dream of EPA makeover no easy lift
By Robin Bravender, E&E reporter.
The Republican Party this week unveiled its latest plan to chip away at U.S. EPA.
Delegates to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland approved a platform Monday that calls for stripping EPA of much of its power and letting states take the lead in environmental regulation. EPA would then be turned into a "bipartisan commission" with limited authority.
While the plan lacks details, former top EPA officials say the scheme would involve a massive political lift, might lead to a patchwork of environmental policies across the country and could wind up hurting industries rather than helping them.
Trudeau commits to national carbon price to cut emissions
By Josh Wingrove, Bloomberg.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is pledging to set a national carbon price to cut emissions, a key message sent as Canada’s provincial premiers meet to discuss how to proceed.
Trudeau and the premiers fell short of a commitment to impose a price earlier this year, instead pledging to study a plan that could include “carbon pricing mechanisms,” and report back on an emissions reduction plan by October. A carbon price typically means either a tax or a cap-and-trade regime.
Some provinces oppose such a plan, with Saskatchewan threatening legal action. Trudeau and Environment Minister Catherine McKenna, however, have ratcheted up their pledges this month, suggesting the federal government will set a price if all provinces can’t agree on one.
Fighting Obama’s Climate Plan, but Quietly Preparing to Comply
By Coral Davenport, New York Times.
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Matt Mead, the governor of Wyoming, the nation’s leading coal-producing state, fiercely opposes President Obama’s climate change regulations, which could shutter hundreds of coal plants and deeply wound his state, one of 27 that are suing to block the plan.
Nevertheless, Mr. Mead, a Republican, has ordered his top environmental officials to prepare to comply with the president’s effort, known as the Clean Power Plan — to prepare for a future in which Mr. Obama’s climate change rules prevail and the country’s coal market is nearly frozen. Wyoming is one of at least 20 states that are moving forward with efforts to comply with the rules or to analyze alternative plans. Several of these states are also suing to stop the rules, according to experts who track state climate change policy.
“Obviously we’re suing and going to fight,” Mr. Mead, a former United States attorney for Wyoming, said in an interview in his office here. “But from my court experience, I know you have to prepare not to win.”
Ryder Recognized as an Inbound Logistics Green Supply Chain Partner
Ryder System, Inc., a leader in commercial fleet management, dedicated transportation, and supply chain solutions, today announced that for the eighth consecutive year, it has been named an Inbound Logistics Green Supply Chain Partner. Inbound Logistics editors have selected 75 companies that demonstrate a deep commitment to green initiatives in transportation and supply chain sustainability for the magazine’s annual “G75” issue.
“The fact that Ryder has been named a Green Supply Chain Partner each year for the past eight years is a tremendous honor,” said Ryder President of Global Fleet Management Solutions, Dennis Cooke. “Awards like this illustrate the importance we continually place on striving to deliver excellence and innovation for our customers across North America.”
Governor Kasich Signs House Bill 390
By Jason Phillips, Clean Fuel Ohio.
Clean Fuels Ohio is proud to announce that Governor Kasich signed Ohio HB 390 into law in late June. HB 390 was legislation that was amended to include the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Conversion Program which consists of $5 million for alternative fueled vehicles. This process took more than three years and we had to face difficulties in the legislative process. Certainly, some doubted that we and our members could get this done, even prior to when the Governor signed the bill. Through developing relationships with legislators, clearly demonstrating the need for incentives for the industry and through industry support we were able to convince Ohio policy-makers to approve legislation creating a new grant program.
Iowa waste authority close to decision on allowing yard waste in landfills
By Cole Rosengren, Waste Dive.
Dive Brief:
- Iowa's Metro Waste Authority (MWA) - an intergovernmental agency which services Polk County and 16 area cities - will decide on Wednesday whether to end the decades-old "Compost It" program for yard waste.
- The material is currently collected separately, but the MWA may begin commingling it with waste at landfills with methane-capture systems. The agency estimates this could save up to $2 million per year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by cutting truck traffic for separate collections.
- While many residents are supportive, some local environmental groups are skeptical of the gas collection technology and concerned with potential methane leaks.
California Democrats Seek Support to Extend Trading Program
By Carolyn Whetzel, Bloomberg BNA.
July 18 — California's Democratic leadership is rallying climate policy supporters to press lawmakers for legislation extending the state's carbon trading program beyond 2020.
At a recent event in Sacramento, State Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De León (D) urged clean energy businesses and workers to help push for a bill that ensures the cap-and-trade program and other key climate policies become permanent.
“We're going to push, push and push to make sure we can make these policies permanent and codify them into law,” De Leon said at a recent event highlighting the employment benefits of California's renewable portfolio standard.
To cut emissions, Canada could expand carbon pricing
By Jed Kim, Marketplace.
Last month, the leaders of three North American countries met for the annual so-called “Three Amigos Summit.” One of the results coming out of the summit was a pledge to reduce emissions, by promising to get at least half of the continent’s power from carbon-neutral sources by 2025.
Now, it appears Canada may be on the cusp of making a national carbon price, as Canada’s Environment Minister Catherine McKenna indicated to Bloomberg last week that the country’s upcoming emissions reduction plan would include a carbon price.
Speculation continues as to whether a carbon tax or cap-and-trade system will actually be required of every province, several of which have opposed such a plan. Andrew Light, a senior fellow at the World Resources Institute, said the minister’s statements did not clarify definitively whether a national plan will be instituted.
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