RNG NEWS
Stay up to date with the latest stories, insights, and announcements.Seattle reports 59% diversion rate in 13th consecutive year of progress
By Cole Rosengren, Waste Dive.
Dive Brief:
- The latest annual report from Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) shows that the Washington city achieved an overall diversion rate of 58.8% in 2016, marking its 13th consecutive year of growth. Within that overall statistic the rates were 74% for single-family homes, 38.5% for multi-family buildings, 64% for commercial establishments and 10.9% for self-hauling. The city's diversion rate for construction and demolition recycling, not factored into the overall rate, was 72.5%.
- Seattle's municipal solid waste generation increased by 3.6% to nearly 748,000 tons, due to population growth and increased economic activity. Recycling volumes grew at the same time and disposal volumes were still close to 30% less than in 2006. Though SPU's report also recognized that some of this decrease could be attributed to the recession and recognized a need for more waste prevention education.
- The city is working to hit an overall diversion target of 70%, excluding construction and demolition, by 2022. Each sector has room for improvement to make this happen, with the self-hauling and multi-family categories seen as the farthest behind.
Plan calls for L.A., Long Beach ports to go to zero-emissions technology
By Tony Barboza, Los Angeles Times.
The nation’s largest port complex will seek to slash air pollution and health risks to Southern Californians by replacing diesel trucks and cargo equipment with zero-emissions technology over the next two decades, according to a plan released Wednesday.
The Long Beach and Los Angeles ports’ Clean Air Action Plan aims to further reduce health-damaging and planet-warming emissions at the sprawling hub for thousands of freight-moving trucks, trains and ships — at a projected cost of up to $14 billion in public and private funds.
By Tony Barboza, Los Angeles Times.
The nation’s largest port complex will seek to slash air pollution and health risks to Southern Californians by replacing diesel trucks and cargo equipment with zero-emissions technology over the next two decades, according to a plan released Wednesday.
The Long Beach and Los Angeles ports’ Clean Air Action Plan aims to further reduce health-damaging and planet-warming emissions at the sprawling hub for thousands of freight-moving trucks, trains and ships — at a projected cost of up to $14 billion in public and private funds.
The blueprint comes more than a decade after the ports pioneered a major greening of their operations by phasing out the dirtiest sources of diesel pollution. But it marks the beginning of a larger, more significant transformation: the shift away from the internal combustion engine entirely.
Despite steep reductions in diesel emissions over the last decade, progress has tapered off recently, and the ports remain Southern California’s largest single source of air pollution. Their operations are fueled by international trade that has nearly tripled the volume of shipping containers moving through the complex since the mid-1990s.
Emissions from moving all those products and goods worsen smog as far away as the Inland Empire — and afflict residents in harbor-area communities with higher asthma rates and cancer risk in what has been labeled the “diesel death zone.”
Republic Services shows off new vehicles at opening of new biomethane fuel facility
By Scott Mahoney, The Chronicle-Telegram
CARLISLE TWP. — Republic Services held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday morning for its new compressed natural gas fueling station and new maintenance facility on Butternut Ridge Road.
“It’s been a long road, and we appreciate both the county and the township working with us,” Republic Services general manager David Vossmer said. “When you looked at where our facility was, how we were growing and what we needed, it’s something that was needed to continue our growth in this area, and we’re very proud of it.”
By Scott Mahoney, The Chronicle-Telegram
CARLISLE TWP. — Republic Services held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday morning for its new compressed natural gas fueling station and new maintenance facility on Butternut Ridge Road.
“It’s been a long road, and we appreciate both the county and the township working with us,” Republic Services general manager David Vossmer said. “When you looked at where our facility was, how we were growing and what we needed, it’s something that was needed to continue our growth in this area, and we’re very proud of it.”
More than 30 community leaders and community members from across Lorain County attended the ceremony.
Additionally, Republic Services showed off some of its 25 new CNG-fueled collection vehicles, which the company said are cleaner, more efficient and quieter. According to Republic Services Area President Brent Goodsell, the new CNG vehicles offer a 90-percent noise reduction compared to older, diesel-powered collection vehicles.
Republic Services has more than 14 million customers across the country in 39 states and Puerto Rico and rates as the third-largest vocational fleet, behind Coca-Cola and UPS, according to Vossmer.
New Jersey Gov. Christie passes bill to halve food waste by 2030
By Cole Rosengren, Waste Dive.
UPDATE, July 24: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed S-3027 into law on July 21, establishing a statewide goal to reduce food waste 50% by 2030, as reported by NJ Spotlight. The state Department of Environmental Protection now has one year to develop and roll out a reduction plan.
Other statewide food waste bills, including one to revise food date labelingand another to encourage food donation, are still pending.
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.
EPA Opens 2018 RVO Draft Rule Comment Period, Sets Aug. 31 Deadline
Today the U.S. EPA opened its public comment period for the 2018 Renewable Fuel Volume Standard Proposed Rule and will be accepting comments through the end of August. The deadline for submission of comments is set for 11:59pm on Thursday, August 31.
View the announcement and the publication of the Draft Rule in today's Federal Register HERE.
DMT to Provide Utah Project with Upgrading Technology to Convert Biogas to RNG
Utah’s first anaerobic digester for food waste will produce enough renewable natural gas to power 15,000 homes. DMT Clear Gas Solutions is an integral part of this project by providing the upgrading technology for the biogas.
Utah’s first anaerobic digester for food waste will produce enough renewable natural gas to power 15,000 homes. DMT Clear Gas Solutions is an integral part of this project by providing the upgrading technology for the biogas.
Approximately one-third of the food produced for human consumption annually gets lost or wasted. The Wasatch Resource Recovery project will become an advanced food waste digestion facility that will process approximately 180,000 tons of food waste per year that will be diverted from landfills. By processing the food waste on this progressive resource recovery site, the life of the local landfills will be extended. Greenhouse gases will be reduced by an equivalent of over 75,000 cars. Not only the methane will be used as natural gas but also part of the CO2 will be reused to grow algae. The Wasatch Resource Recovery site in North Salt Lake, UT has selected DMT Clear Gas Solution’s upgrading technology for their recovery site.
Piedmont Natural Gas Parallels What it Calls, ‘tremendous growth in demand for compressed natural gas'
By Rich Piellisch, Fleets & Fuels.
Adapts to Larger Natural Gas Vehicles Fleets With an Improving Infrastructure for Fueling
Piedmont Natural Gas has opened its eleventh compressed natural gas fueling outlet and continues to work with ANGI Energy to both expand its network and update its existing stations.
The Duke Energy utility is bolstering its own natural gas vehicles fleet too.
By Rich Piellisch, Fleets & Fuels.
Adapts to Larger Natural Gas Vehicles Fleets With an Improving Infrastructure for Fueling
Piedmont Natural Gas has opened its eleventh compressed natural gas fueling outlet and continues to work with ANGI Energy to both expand its network and update its existing stations.
The Duke Energy utility is bolstering its own natural gas vehicles fleet too.
In addition to evaluating new locations in its tri-state service area of Tennessee and the Carolinas, “We’re also looking at infrastructure within our existing locations,” says utility natural gas vehicles director David Nestor.
More Lanes, Easier to Pay
And, in addition to the new station in Hickory, N.C., Piedmont has added new fueling lanes for heavy trucks at its existing CNG outlet in Nashville – the facility boasts an unusual multi-level layout – and it is rebuilding at Fayetteville, N.C. – “a whole new station,” Nestor says, with an eye to serving trucks plying the I-95 corridor.
Report: Portland, OR to set rules to use food scraps to create energy
By Steve Law, Portland Tribune.
Metro wants to transform how the Portland area handles food waste, converting our chicken bones, melon rinds and other food scraps into renewable energy instead of burying them in an Eastern Oregon landfill.
To accomplish that, Metro is fashioning new mandates on businesses and local governments to require separate collection of food scraps, culminating in an eventual ban on sending food waste to the landfill. The regional government, responsible for the Portland area's solid waste system, also is soliciting a private company to build a plant that breaks down food waste and turns it into biogas or electricity, or perhaps compost.
By Steve Law, Portland Tribune.
Metro wants to transform how the Portland area handles food waste, converting our chicken bones, melon rinds and other food scraps into renewable energy instead of burying them in an Eastern Oregon landfill.
To accomplish that, Metro is fashioning new mandates on businesses and local governments to require separate collection of food scraps, culminating in an eventual ban on sending food waste to the landfill. The regional government, responsible for the Portland area's solid waste system, also is soliciting a private company to build a plant that breaks down food waste and turns it into biogas or electricity, or perhaps compost.
"Food waste is just a tremendous resource that we're putting into the ground right now," says Pam Peck, Metro's resource conservation and recycling planning manager.
On May 25, Metro asked companies to submit proposals by July 26 to build a treatment facility. At least two companies confirmed they'll submit proposals, one in Portland and one in Wilsonville. (See related story.)
Right in Our Own Back Yard - In many ways, renewable natural gas is the ultimate form of recycling.
By Edward Remington, American Gas Magazine, July, 2017.
In many ways, renewable natural gas is the ultimate form of recycling. The energy industry has been using it to generate electricity or fuel vehicles for decades, but here's a new concept: injecting RNG into pipelines for direct use in our homes and businesses. It's happening here--and around the word--and the sources are closer than you think.
By Edward Remington, American Gas Magazine, July, 2017.
In many ways, renewable natural gas is the ultimate form of recycling. The energy industry has been using it to generate electricity or fuel vehicles for decades, but here's a new concept: injecting RNG into pipelines for direct use in our homes and businesses. It's happening here--and around the word--and the sources are closer than you think.
When it comes to natural gas, the word "fossil" might no longer be accurate to describe the natural gas flowing through pipeline networks.
For years, some utilities have been capturing greenhouse gas emissions from decaying organic materials in landfills, wastewater treatment plants, farms and other sources and using it to generate electricity and fuel vehicles rather than letting it simply float into the atmosphere or be flared.
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