RNG NEWS
Stay up to date with the latest stories, insights, and announcements.U.S. DOE Announces Additional MEGA-BIO: Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels Award
Via U.S. Department of Energy.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today that it will award a fourth project—up to $1.8 million—under the MEGA-BIO: Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels Funding Opportunity. In August 2016, DOE's Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) selected three projects for an initial round of funding. The total funding for the four MEGA-BIO awards is $13.1 million.
DOE selected Michigan State University to manage the fourth project, which will work in partnership with the University of Wisconsin–Madison and MBI International to optimize a two-stage process for deconstruction of biomass into two clean intermediate streams: sugars for the production of hydrocarbon fuels and lignins for the production of multiple value-added chemicals. Lignin can be utilized as a renewable source for creating valuable aromatic chemicals, which have various industrial applications and can be used as the building blocks for fragrances, flavors, and novel bio-based foams and adhesives. The project will work to overcome several existing challenges, such as lignin's low susceptibility to depolymerization, to help capture its full potential as an economically viable feedstock for renewable chemicals.
Via U.S. Department of Energy.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today that it will award a fourth project—up to $1.8 million—under the MEGA-BIO: Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels Funding Opportunity. In August 2016, DOE's Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) selected three projects for an initial round of funding. The total funding for the four MEGA-BIO awards is $13.1 million.
DOE selected Michigan State University to manage the fourth project, which will work in partnership with the University of Wisconsin–Madison and MBI International to optimize a two-stage process for deconstruction of biomass into two clean intermediate streams: sugars for the production of hydrocarbon fuels and lignins for the production of multiple value-added chemicals. Lignin can be utilized as a renewable source for creating valuable aromatic chemicals, which have various industrial applications and can be used as the building blocks for fragrances, flavors, and novel bio-based foams and adhesives. The project will work to overcome several existing challenges, such as lignin's low susceptibility to depolymerization, to help capture its full potential as an economically viable feedstock for renewable chemicals.
All four projects are supporting the development of biomass-to-hydrocarbon biofuels conversion pathways that can produce variable amounts of fuels and/or products based on external factors, such as market demand. Producing high-value bioproducts alongside cost-competitive biofuels has the potential to support a positive return on investment for a biorefinery through converting biomass to where it is most impactful. Producing value-added co-products is an approach to achieving DOE's strategic goal of producing hydrocarbon fuels at $3/gasoline gallon equivalent.
The Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) accelerates research and development of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and innovative solutions that strengthen U.S. energy security and economic vitality, while preserving our natural resources. Learn more about how the BETO supports the development of a sustainable, domestic bioenergy industry.
Court Ruling On RFS RVOs A Win For Biofuels Industry
Aug. 2 - By Express NewsLine.
A hearing is set to begin Tuesday morning to discuss how much biofuel will be blended into the nation's gasoline supply for the next two years.
Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says in a statement she is pleased the court rejected the EPA's methodology, "Supplying enough renewable fuels has not been a problem for our farmers and biofuels producers, and the EPA's use of "inadequate domestic supply" waiver authority created needless uncertainty for the industry".
At the hearing, RNG stakeholders advocated that EPA's cellulosic biofuel calculation methodology in the final rule account for both increased cellulosic biofuel generation from projects now producing fuel, and the projected production from 24 additional RNG projects nearing completion of construction that are planned to begin generating RIN credits under the RFS program later this year and throughout 2018. The next step is the comment period, which kicks off Tuesday morning and coincides with a hearing on the volume levels for 2018-and 2019. "Whether in a reset discussion or in setting biodiesel and ethanol levels, the EPA must act according to the clear directive from the court". Past RFS levels were highly disputed by renewable fuels groups, with RFS proponents claiming EPA's levels missed the mark.
JPMorgan Chase Commits To 100% Renewable Energy By 2020 & Facilitating $200 Billion In Clean Energy Financing By 2025
By Joshua S. Hill, Clean Technica.
Multinational banking giant JPMorgan Chase has announced it is committing to sourcing 100% of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2020 and a promise to facilitate $200 billion in clean financing through 2025.
By Joshua S. Hill, Clean Technica.
Multinational banking giant JPMorgan Chase has announced it is committing to sourcing 100% of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2020 and a promise to facilitate $200 billion in clean financing through 2025.
For those of us who have been covering global warming science and clean technology for a while now — for me, it’s been over a decade — the role that big business and big banking has stepped into in taking a leading role in advocating for sustainable business and banking, and a transition to a low-carbon economy, has been incredibly heartening. It would be naive to imagine that these moves have been made entirely on altruistic terms — they most certainly haven’t, but more so, they don’t need to be, considering the economic value in such moves — but it has been rewarding regardless, to see big money so actively engage in sustainable business.
JPMorgan Chase, one of the oldest financial institutions in the United States with assets of $2.6 trillion, and working in over 60 countries with more than 240,000 employees, announced this week that they “have gradually and thoughtfully been increasing our commitment to sustainability for over a decade.” Over a year ago, JPMorgan Chase announced that it was backing away from investing in new coal mining projects, adding such investments to a list of “Prohibited Transactions” alongside Forced or Child Labor and Illegal Logging. Further, and vitally important when we look to see beyond the altruistic motivations for such decisions, JPMorgan Chase explained that:
Corporate power purchase agreements are rapidly growing
By EUCI Energize Weekly.
Corporate power purchase agreements, initially the domain of high-visibility, multi-billion-dollar enterprises, are increasingly being used by smaller companies, as well as municipalities and non-profit institutions.
The use of the agreements, or PPAs, has soared in the last two years and is on pace for another robust year, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Business Renewables Center (BRC) Deal Tracker.
To be sure, there are some financial and operational risks with PPAs, but they haven’t deterred the growth of the market, which is composed largely of companies seeking to meet sustainability or renewable energy targets or cut greenhouse gas emissions.
By EUCI Energize Weekly.
Corporate power purchase agreements, initially the domain of high-visibility, multi-billion-dollar enterprises, are increasingly being used by smaller companies, as well as municipalities and non-profit institutions.
The use of the agreements, or PPAs, has soared in the last two years and is on pace for another robust year, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Business Renewables Center (BRC) Deal Tracker.
To be sure, there are some financial and operational risks with PPAs, but they haven’t deterred the growth of the market, which is composed largely of companies seeking to meet sustainability or renewable energy targets or cut greenhouse gas emissions.
PPAs have long been used by utilities to purchase power on long-term contracts from independent generators. Selling clean power to companies with renewable energy or sustainability goals began around 2008.
Among the first high-profile corporate PPAs were those signed by Apple, Google and Microsoft. In the last two years, old-line manufactures such as 3M, Dow Chemical and General Motors have signed agreements.
Last Friday, JPMorgan Chase & Co. announced it is seeking to be 100 percent reliant on renewable energy by 2020 through a series of initiatives, including installing onsite renewable energy facilities, improving energy efficiency and PPAs.
JPMorgan signed its first PPA in 2016, a 20-year agreement with NRG Energy for a 100-megawatt (MW) wind farm in Texas. In its announcement, the bank said it plans to sign more PPAs.
Waste Dive: Organics diversion is here to stay in NYC. What's next?
By Cole Rosengren, Waste Dive.
Reducing and diverting food waste is all the rage in cities these days, and New York is trying to become the organics diversion capital of the country. The city now has the largest curbside residential organics program in the country and recently announced plans to expand its commercial diversion requirements too. The results of this first phase culminated in many ways with the first-ever NYC Food Waste Fair hosted by the Foundation for New York’s Strongest and the city's Department of Sanitation (DSNY) — at the Brooklyn Expo Center on July 25.
By Cole Rosengren, Waste Dive.
Reducing and diverting food waste is all the rage in cities these days, and New York is trying to become the organics diversion capital of the country. The city now has the largest curbside residential organics program in the country and recently announced plans to expand its commercial diversion requirements too. The results of this first phase culminated in many ways with the first-ever NYC Food Waste Fair hosted by the Foundation for New York’s Strongest and the city's Department of Sanitation (DSNY) — at the Brooklyn Expo Center on July 25.
In addition to a general feeling of excitement about how far this sector had come, there was also an undercurrent of discussion about the growing pains involved. Based on annual surveys of regional processing capacity, DSNY remains convinced that enough options are out there and the finances are working. Others in the industry see a more complex picture, with many facilities still located far from the city, and unable to accept the often contaminated material coming out of its businesses. DSNY moved to address this last summer by awarding an estimated $47 million in pre-processing contracts for residential material — with the added goal of improving commercial options — though more work remains.
Boise, Idaho, Anaerobic Digester to Process Multiple Streams to Increase Efficiency
By Arlene Karidis, Waste 360.
Idaho-based developer Boise Biogas is working with two tech companies to install an anaerobic digestion (AD) system that will be fed by various feedstocks to produce pipeline gas for local distributors and fertlizer for local farmers.
Boise Biogas, which will own and run the operation, is in the late stages of rezoning and finalizing the land purchase. It hopes to begin injecting into the pipeline by late 2018.
By Arlene Karidis, Waste 360.
Idaho-based developer Boise Biogas is working with two tech companies to install an anaerobic digestion (AD) system that will be fed by various feedstocks to produce pipeline gas for local distributors and fertlizer for local farmers.
Boise Biogas, which will own and run the operation, is in the late stages of rezoning and finalizing the land purchase. It hopes to begin injecting into the pipeline by late 2018.
The partners are shooting for a zero waste facility and materials with greater than five percent contamination will be rejected, says Will Charlton, president of Digester Doc, a Boise, Idaho-based lab services company that optimizes AD systems. Charlton was contracted for this project, which will process 1,500 wet tons a day.
Boise Biogas’ original plan was only to generate electricity to run its equipment.
“But our reach expanded because we found in the Treasure Valley area there is a surplus of organics that was ending up on local landfills or being trucked to remote sites,” says Chuck Anderson, president and director of engineering and operations for Boise Biogas. “They were starting to fill up. Plus, dairy farms were asking for help with manure management…. We thought anaerobic digestion was the best way to create a useable energy product from all this waste.”
City of Portland contracts with Community College to convert vehicles to natural gas
By USGasVehicles.com.
July 21, 2017. Portland has vehicles it wants to convert to running on compressed natural gas (CNG). Linn-Benton Community College has students learning how to do such conversions.
For officials at the community college's Advanced Transportation Technology Center (ATTC) in Lebanon, it's the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
By USGasVehicles.com.
July 21, 2017. Portland has vehicles it wants to convert to running on compressed natural gas (CNG). Linn-Benton Community College has students learning how to do such conversions.
For officials at the community college's Advanced Transportation Technology Center (ATTC) in Lebanon, it's the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Eight students with the ATTC's Gaseous Fuels Conversions class are finishing the first conversion to compressed natural gas for Portland city officials this week. They are working on a 2013 GMC pickup that will be used in Portland's environmental services division.
Five vehicles are currently contracted for conversion, with three more on the way and dozens more expected after that.
RNG Stakeholders Testify at EPA Renewable Fuel Volume Standard Hearing
By Lauren Turner, NGT News.
Several renewable natural gas stakeholders attended the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) public comment hearing today on the 2018 Renewable Fuel Volume Standard Proposed Rule to advocate for RNG transportation fuel under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program.
According to the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition), the RNG industry was heavily represented at the hearing, noting that nearly 40 of the 143 stakeholders pre-registered to provide public testimony carried the RNG Coalition’s message to the EPA.
By Lauren Turner, NGT News.
Several renewable natural gas stakeholders attended the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) public comment hearing today on the 2018 Renewable Fuel Volume Standard Proposed Rule to advocate for RNG transportation fuel under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program.
According to the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition), the RNG industry was heavily represented at the hearing, noting that nearly 40 of the 143 stakeholders pre-registered to provide public testimony carried the RNG Coalition’s message to the EPA.
At the hearing, RNG stakeholders advocated that EPA’s cellulosic biofuel calculation methodology in the final rule account for both increased cellulosic biofuel generation from projects currently producing fuel, and the projected production from 24 additional RNG projects nearing completion of construction that are planned to begin generating RIN credits under the RFS program later this year and throughout 2018.
“RNG has supplied 98% of the RFS’s cellulosic biofuel market since it received the D3 RIN designation in 2014,” says Ashley Patterson, vice president of government relations and public policy with Ameresco.
Florida county gives waste-hauling companies to end of 2020 to switch to CNG trucks
By Cody Boteler, Waste Dive.
Dive Brief:
- The two waste-hauling companies in Seminole County, FL, will have to replace their current fleet with trucks that run on compressed natural gas (CNG) by the end of 2020, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
- The companies, Waste Pro of Florida and Advanced Disposal Services, service roughly 65,000 homes in the county. Waste Pro has "about 20" trucks and Advanced Disposal has "about 10" trucks, according to the Sentinel. Recycling trucks and commercial waste trucks will not be affected by the CNG mandate.
- Orange County, FL, required waste haulers to switch to CNG in 2015. There are 114 trucks operated by three companies in Orange County running on CNG, servicing over 200,000 customers, according to the Sentinel.
Canadian airlines aiming to become a biofuel superpower, reduce carbon footprint
By Ross Marowits, The Canadian Press, National Post.
MONTREAL — The country’s top airlines say resource-rich Canada has the potential to become a biofuel superpower by transforming forest residue and agricultural crops into energy that can help the industry reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Canada actually has an opportunity like no other country where it can displace large amounts of fuel and reduce large amounts of carbon,” Mena Salib, Air Canada’s manager of aircraft noise and emissions, said Tuesday after speaking to a global biotech conference.
By Ross Marowits, The Canadian Press, National Post.
MONTREAL — The country’s top airlines say resource-rich Canada has the potential to become a biofuel superpower by transforming forest residue and agricultural crops into energy that can help the industry reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Canada actually has an opportunity like no other country where it can displace large amounts of fuel and reduce large amounts of carbon,” Mena Salib, Air Canada’s manager of aircraft noise and emissions, said Tuesday after speaking to a global biotech conference.
Salib said the industry wants to procure biofuels from local sources instead of transporting it far to meet demand.
“The prize would be technology from Canada, the feedstock is from Canada and it is used by Canadians.”
The country’s largest airline has been part of several flight tests to study biofuels and is ready to add the lower carbon energy blends when they are readily available.
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