RNG NEWS
Stay up to date with the latest stories, insights, and announcements.RNG Coalition member Ameresco completes landfill gas-to-energy project at Advanced Disposal site in Illinois
By Cole Rosengren, Waste Dive.
Dive Brief:
- Ameresco Inc. has completed a new landfill gas-to-energy facility at the Orchard Hills Generating Station near Rockford, IL which it will begin operating soon, as reported by Renewable Energy from Waste.
- The station is located at a landfill operated by Advanced Disposal. This will be the fourth facility that Ameresco is operating for Indiana-based Hoosier Energy.
- The facility will be run by six 620 GE Jenbacher engines and produce 16 MW of energy, enough to power more than 8,000 homes.
Automotive, Energy Leaders Emphasize CNG Role in Energy Transition
By Lauren Tyler, NGT News.
Gazprom and Audi, in partnership with Volkswagen, jointly held an energy conference focused on the contributions that natural gas; biomethane; and synthetic, renewable methane can make to foster the energy transformation in the mobility sector.
According to Gazprom, whose main business activities include the storage and trading of natural gas and natural gas for transport, all of the invited experts from the business, academia and media industries concluded that these low-carbon, methane-containing energy sources have been neglected far too much by policymakers in Germany.
Jens Andersen, group representative for natural gas mobility at Volkswagen AG, stated that the term “natural gas” still has a much-too-negative connotation for many people. He added that just the use of natural gas in road transport has considerable advantages for the environment, the economy and the driver, yet the ecological potential of compressed natural gas (CNG) mobility is far greater through the use of biomethane and synthetic methane from power-to-gas plants.
Tax Extenders for Renewable Energy: The Forgotten Provisions
By Elizabeth McCulley Gore, The Huffington Post.
Congress struck a major compromise on energy policy last December: Republicans agreed to provide some certainty and longevity for renewable energy tax provisions in exchange for Democrats agreeing to lift the oil export ban.
On the tax side, this package included an Investment Tax Credit for solar energy that would ramp down over a number of years, eventually becoming permanent with a smaller credit than in the earlier years. For wind, the package included a Production Tax Credit that will be ramped down and phased out over five years. The goal of the package was to end the stop-start tax incentives that are so disruptive to businesses and utilities that want to deploy additional renewable power.
EPA Must Examine Effects of Clean Air Act Regulations on Jobs
By Vaneeta Chintamaneni, The National Law Review.
Under a recent summary judgment decision from a federal district judge, the EPA must continuously examine the effects that certain Clean Air Act (CAA) regulations have on employment in the coal industry specifically and other industries more broadly. This means the EPA will be subject to increased requirements before taking action under the CAA. The ruling also suggests that additional requirements could be imposed on the EPA under similar provisions in other environmental statutes, such as the Clean Water Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Solid Waste Disposal Act, and CERCLA.
Murray Energy’s Lawsuit Against the EPA
The ruling arises from a March 24, 2014 lawsuit filed by coal company Murray Energy and its affiliates and subsidiaries (Murray Energy) against the EPA in the District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia. The lawsuit alleged, and the court agreed, that the EPA failed to conduct any employment analyses required by Section 321(a) when administering and enforcing the CAA. Murray Energy wanted to force the EPA to examine whether its administration and enforcement of the CAA in recent years had led to job loss in the coal industry. It also sought to prevent the EPA from approving new regulations affecting the coal industry until it conducted a job analysis.
US to unveil decarbonization strategy during Morocco climate talks next month
By Robert Walton, Utility Dive.
Dive Brief:
- The United States will reveal its decarbonization strategy at a United Nations climate summit in Morocco next month, and the lead negotiator says carbon capture and natural gas will play a role for years to come, Bloomberg BNA reports.
- U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Jonathan Pershing said at a conference recently that as far out as 2050, natural gas generation and carbon capture on those plants would remain a part of the strategy alongside renewable energy.
- At the Paris climate negotiations last year, almost 200 nations agreed to keep the impact of climate change below 2 degrees Celsius. For the United States, that will mean cutting emissions 26% by 2025.
UN to deliver climate plan for shipping in 2023
By Ed King, Climate Change News.
The UN’s shipping body will produce a strategy to curb greenhouse gases by 2023, over 170 countries agreed at talks in London on Friday.
An initial plan from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is expected to be released by 2018, which will feed into a UN-led assessment of global climate policies.
But under proposals submitted in London this week, governments will only finalise the strategy after a three year project to capture ship-level fuel use data, which starts in 2019.
Idaho solid waste board votes to back methane electricity generator at landfill
By Nathan Brown, MagicValley.com.
BURLEY — That trash you tossed without a second thought could soon be powering your home.
A plan is in the works to turn methane gas produced at the Milner Butte landfill into electricity.
The Southern Idaho Solid Waste Board of Directors voted Wednesday to move forward with a plan to build a generator at the landfill, said Josh Bartlome, SISW executive director.
EPA: 1.67 billion RINs generated in September
By Erin Voegele, Ethanol Producer Magazine.
The U.S. EPA has released renewable identification number (RIN) generation data for September, announcing 1.67 billion RINs were generated during the month, including 17.14 million D3 cellulosic biofuel RINs and 99,563 D7 cellulosic diesel RINs. A net total of nearly 14.26 billion RINs were generated during the first nine months of the year.
More than 17.44 million D3 cellulosic RINs were generated in September, bringing the net total for the first nine months of the year to 125.17 million. More than 2.84 million D3 RINs have been generated for ethanol, with 73.79 million generated for renewable compressed natural gas and 50.37 million for renewable liquefied natural gas. Nearly 113.26 million D3 RINS have been generated domestically, with 13.75 million generated by importers.
Landfill Gas to Provide Power in Northwest Indiana
By Dan McGowan, Inside Indiana Business.
A new landfill gas-to-energy generating plant has opened in White County. The operation near Buffalo is the 16th of its kind from Indianapolis-based Wabash Valley Power Association.
Waste Management and Republic Services receive recognition for leading in efforts to reverse climate change
By Cole Rosengren, Waste Dive.
Dive Brief:
- Both Waste Management and Republic Services have been recognized by the nonprofit Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) on its 2016 Climate A List for climate change mitigation efforts.
- The report analyzed data from 1,089 companies, and 193 companies made the top list. Other notable companies include Apple, Nissan, Sony and General Motors along with many other brand names.
- According to CDP, the overall list of companies that reported data represent 12% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Of those companies, 85% have set emissions reductions goals, though the majority of those goals are for 2030 and beyond which CDP notes is a sign that more long-term planning could be done.
Don’t miss an update—join our weekly newsletter below.