RNG NEWS
Stay up to date with the latest stories, insights, and announcements.Trump Names Energy Lawyer McIntyre as FERC Chair
By Michael Brooks, RTO Insider.
The White House on Thursday announced that President Trump intends to nominate lawyer Kevin McIntyre as chairman of FERC.
The coleader of Jones Day’s energy practice in D.C., McIntyre has representedenergy companies in litigation, compliance and enforcement matters and corporate transactions.
McIntyre, who has been rumored for months as Trump’s choice for the chair, would join more than a dozen other Jones Day alumni in the administration, including White House Counsel Don McGahn, a former Jones Day partner. Trump’s campaign reportedly has paid the firm $3.3 million in legal fees since 2015.
By Michael Brooks, RTO Insider.
The White House on Thursday announced that President Trump intends to nominate lawyer Kevin McIntyre as chairman of FERC.
The coleader of Jones Day’s energy practice in D.C., McIntyre has representedenergy companies in litigation, compliance and enforcement matters and corporate transactions.
McIntyre, who has been rumored for months as Trump’s choice for the chair, would join more than a dozen other Jones Day alumni in the administration, including White House Counsel Don McGahn, a former Jones Day partner. Trump’s campaign reportedly has paid the firm $3.3 million in legal fees since 2015.
The White House said Trump will ask the Senate to confirm McIntyre for the remainder of former Chair Norman Bay’s term, which ends in 2018, and a full term ending in 2023.
McIntyre’s naming would fill the third Republican vacancy on the five-member commission, which could soon be restored to full strength.
Read more...
Burlington County, NJ to turn landfill gases to renewable energy
By Brian Woods, Burlington County Times.
Burlington County has completed its $4.49 million expansion, but before trash dumping can start...
UK government report suggests using waste instead of wheat to make biofuels
By Bob Yirka, Tech Xplore.
(Tech Xplore)—The Royal Academy of Engineering, a U.K. governmental entity has released a lengthy document called "Sustainability of liquid biofuels" outlining the current state of biofuel manufacture and use in the U.K. The group suggests that more of the fuel should be made using waste and less from regular food crops such as wheat.
By Bob Yirka, Tech Xplore.
(Tech Xplore)—The Royal Academy of Engineering, a U.K. governmental entity has released a lengthy document called "Sustainability of liquid biofuels" outlining the current state of biofuel manufacture and use in the U.K. The group suggests that more of the fuel should be made using waste and less from regular food crops such as wheat.
Unlike the U.S. and some other countries that make biofuelmainly out of corn or sugarcane, the U.K. relies heavily on wheat and used cooking oil. But the authors of the report say using land changes as a means to grow more of the crops used to produce the fuel will likely release more emissions than continued use of gas or diesel fuel. To gain the greatest benefit, they conclude, the government will need to impose restrictions on crops grown to make it.
Grand Junction, CO calls biogas-to-transportation fuel project a huge success
By KKCO NBC 11 News.
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO/KJCT)-- Cleaning city wastewater can be clean and green in more ways than one. Since 2015, the Persigo Wastewater treatment facility has been capturing its methane, a by product of cleaning our dirty water.
Officials have been able to convert that methane into a usable fuel for 62 city and county's vehicles.
It has also saved the city about $179,000 on gas.
Farm Bill Energy Programs: All-of-the-Above Value
By Lloyd Ritter | July 10, 2017
American farmers have built an impressive record of productivity in the past several years. Despite their success, rural America is facing new economic headwinds. Congress should move expeditiously with its work on a new Farm Bill to help farmers and rural communities respond to the challenge. Agriculture energy programs remain a vital part of the legislation because they help farmers diversify the sources of energy they use and the types of products they generate.
Despite years of record harvests—perhaps even because of them—a worldwide decline in commodity prices cut U.S. net farm income by 15 percent to about $68 billion in 2016, the lowest level since 2009, according to the USDA. Income is projected to drop another 9 percent in 2017. That decline in income reverberates throughout rural America, undercutting the economic vitality of communities and several states. Farm Bill programs support investments in rural communities that diversify economic opportunities and bring new jobs. Every one of the farm bill energy programs is important and effective, and each of them provides a success story.
By Lloyd Ritter | July 10, 2017
American farmers have built an impressive record of productivity in the past several years. Despite their success, rural America is facing new economic headwinds. Congress should move expeditiously with its work on a new Farm Bill to help farmers and rural communities respond to the challenge. Agriculture energy programs remain a vital part of the legislation because they help farmers diversify the sources of energy they use and the types of products they generate.
Despite years of record harvests—perhaps even because of them—a worldwide decline in commodity prices cut U.S. net farm income by 15 percent to about $68 billion in 2016, the lowest level since 2009, according to the USDA. Income is projected to drop another 9 percent in 2017. That decline in income reverberates throughout rural America, undercutting the economic vitality of communities and several states. Farm Bill programs support investments in rural communities that diversify economic opportunities and bring new jobs. Every one of the farm bill energy programs is important and effective, and each of them provides a success story.
While making his first policy speech in Iowa, our new Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Purdue recently thanked farmers for their innovations and technological developments, promising that this new administration would continue to look for opportunities to support the agriculture industry in its efforts to innovate. Ensuring funding for these important Farm Bill programs is one critical way to do just that.
The Biobased Markets Program, also known as the BioPreferred Program, provides tangible evidence of the diversity of rural America’s contribution to the national economy. The program supports a voluntary product label that informs consumers about the biobased content of products on their local store shelf. One example is Procter and Gamble’s Tide bottles. According to USDA, sales of products that qualify for the label equaled $127 billion in 2014; the overall U.S. economic impact of the biobased industry was nearly three times higher, at $393 billion. Moreover, the biobased product industry employs more than 1.5 million people, and for every job in the industry, another 1.76 jobs are created.
Rumpke's third landfill gas-to-energy plant now operational in Ohio
By Cole Rosengren, Waste Dive.
Dive Brief:
- Rumpke Waste & Recycling officially unveiled a new gas-to-energy plant at the Brown County Landfill in Ohio on July 13, according to a press release.
- Energy from the 4.8 MW facility is being sold directly to American Municipal Power of Ohio through a long-term agreement. Rumpke estimates it will generate enough to power 3,000 homes for residents in area communities around Ohio and Kentucky.
- Before this plant was constructed, the gas collected from 80 wells onsite was being directed to a central flare system and destroyed. The estimated $8 million facility will be owned and operated by Energy Developments.
Read more...
New Connecticut law to require utilities to acquire more RECs from Anaerobic Digester, Fuel Cells, & Landfill Gas
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy signed into law Public Act 17-144, which is intended to boost the state's energy generation from waste through anaerobic digestion (AD) and from fuel cells.
Originally proposed by Gov. Mallow, the law will annually increase the proportion of electric utilities' power mix coming from renewable energy credits (RECs) that are generated from renewables other than solar.
The new law now adds fuel cells and anaerobic digestion to list of potential sources that are eligible for procurement, a list that includes landfill gas, wind power, and certain biomass and hydropower facilities. Connecticut utilities will put out for bid new long-term power contracts for these power resources.
Read the text of the law HERE.
Renewable Natural Gas Advocates Push for More Generous Federal Renewable Fuel Limits
By Richard Nemec, Natural Gas Intelligence.
Advocates for increased use of renewable natural gas (RNG), or biomethane, warned that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could unintentionally curb future RNG production with a new way of calculating standards for the increasingly popular fuel for natural gas vehicles (NGV) and other near-zero emission technologies.
At issue is an early draft Renewable Fuel Volume Standard (RVO) for cellulosic biofuels that has drawn the ire of the Sacramento, CA-based Coalition for RNG even before it becomes an official EPA proposal. RNG is the major source of cellulosic biofuel, according to the coalition.
By Richard Nemec, Natural Gas Intelligence.
Advocates for increased use of renewable natural gas (RNG), or biomethane, warned that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could unintentionally curb future RNG production with a new way of calculating standards for the increasingly popular fuel for natural gas vehicles (NGV) and other near-zero emission technologies.
At issue is an early draft Renewable Fuel Volume Standard (RVO) for cellulosic biofuels that has drawn the ire of the Sacramento, CA-based Coalition for RNG even before it becomes an official EPA proposal. RNG is the major source of cellulosic biofuel, according to the coalition.
RNG projects turn cellulosic waste, such as garbage and manure, into natural gas-quality fuel that in turn can be made into compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) for use in powering NGVs or other types of equipment crucial to lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The RNG Coalition is suggesting an RVO of at least 421 million gallons is needed, and the EPA draft standard calls for 238 million gallons, some 73 million gallons less than the agency's 2017 RVO of 311 million gallons. Following expected Federal Register publication later this month, EPA would take comments on its proposal through October, with a final rule published by December, said David Cox, the RNG Coalition's operations director and general counsel.
"EPA's action changes the methodology by which future fuel availability is assessed," Cox said. "The new methodology uses only renewable identification number (RIN) data, rather than continuing the past practice that also looked at data from projects with pending renewable fuel standard (RFS) pathway applications and projects under development with relevant online dates."
Diesel gas rates rise in 6 states
By Jennifer McKevitt, Waste Dive.
Dive Brief:
- On July 1, Indiana, Montana, New Jersey, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia all saw a new diesel gas tax rate, as reported by Overdrive.
- In general, the increases ranged from 2 to 17.5 cents, depending on the state and the time period of the full increase. Most states opt for a slow increase over a several year span.
- California will also see a 10-cent diesel gas price increase before the year's end.
OR Democrats Agree to Modify Clean Fuels Program to Pass Transportation Package, Program Remains Essentially in Tact
By Gordon R. Friedman, The Oregonian.
"Democratic leaders also relented to Republican demands to modify the state's low-carbon fuel standard, or "clean fuels" law. Republicans like Bentz wanted to cap the law's effect on the price of fuel and make its inner workings more transparent, demands Democrats eventually agreed to. The changes asked for by Republicans allow the clean fuels law to remain essentially intact, depending on market conditions."
"Democratic leaders also relented to Republican demands to modify the state's low-carbon fuel standard, or "clean fuels" law. Republicans like Bentz wanted to cap the law's effect on the price of fuel and make its inner workings more transparent, demands Democrats eventually agreed to. The changes asked for by Republicans allow the clean fuels law to remain essentially intact, depending on market conditions."
By Gordon R. Friedman, The Oregonian.
SALEM -- A $5.3 billion proposal to raise taxes and fees to pay for Portland-area congestion relief and transportation upgrades across Oregon passed the state House Wednesday.
The 39-20 vote propels legislative leaders one step closer toward achieving a central goal of this year's session: Pass a bill to upgrade Oregon's crumbling roads and bridges, expand gridlocked highways, pump money into public transit systems and improve how the Oregon Department of Transportation does business.
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