RNG NEWS
Wisconsin dairy farm biogas project gets $15 million grant
By Bioenergy Insight.
BC Organics, developer of a bioenergy system that will produce renewable gas from dairy farm manure and other waste, has received a conditional $15 million (€12.5 million) Focus on Energy grant from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC).
By Bioenergy Insight.
BC Organics, developer of a bioenergy system that will produce renewable gas from dairy farm manure and other waste, has received a conditional $15 million (€12.5 million) Focus on Energy grant from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC).
The Brown County, Wisconsin based project will reduce the need to landspread raw manure, protect sensitive groundwater and surface waters in north eastern Wisconsin, and provide economic benefits to participating farms, according to a statement from PSC.
Waste Management partners to produce renewable electricity from waste methane in Marin County
By Anna Guth, Point Reyes Light.
Marin County’s nonprofit public electricity provider, MCE, and Waste Management are cutting the ribbon this month on a collaborative clean energy project located at Redwood Landfill in Novato. The new plant, a $14.5 million endeavor, uses the methane gas produced by Marin and Sonoma Counties’ waste to power two engines that generate 3.9 megawatts of electricity around the clock, providing enough electricity to serve around 5,000 homes.
Philadelphia & Corporate Manufacturers Launch Renewable Thermal Collaborative
By Heather Clancy, GreenBiz.
The corporate world has done an admirable job of inspiring the addition of solar and wind electricity to the worldwide grid — more than 8 gigawatts of capacity in the past five years alone has been inspired or influenced by their demand, according to figures from the Business Renewables Center.
By Heather Clancy, GreenBiz.
The corporate world has done an admirable job of inspiring the addition of solar and wind electricity to the worldwide grid — more than 8 gigawatts of capacity in the past five years alone has been inspired or influenced by their demand, according to figures from the Business Renewables Center.
But the cold, hard truth is that if companies focus on addressing electricity alone — without considering how they fuel heating and cooling functions across factories or campuses — many are likely to fall short of their "renewable energy" aspirations.
New Holland Aims to Become Expert in Fueling Tractors with Biomethane
By Dave Songer, Bio-based World News.
The fuel that powers the tractor, biomethane, is particularly well suited to farms because they have the raw materials and the space to house a biodigester to produce the gas.
By Dave Songer, Bio-based World News.
The fuel that powers the tractor, biomethane, is particularly well suited to farms because they have the raw materials and the space to house a biodigester to produce the gas.
A major tractor manufacturer has revealed plans for what it calls the farm of the future, with the release of a methane-powered tractor and a template for self-sufficient estates that produce their own biofuel.
The New Holland Concept Tractor will match the performance of diesel-powered equivalents but with up to 30% lower running costs, while the company’s vision for a self-sufficient farm focused on the ability to produce not just food, but also the biomass needed to run all of its machinery.
Secretary of Energy Rick Perry Announces Integrated Biorefinery Optimization Projects
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announced that the Department of Energy (DOE) has selected eight projects to negotiate for up to $15 million in total DOE funding to optimize integrated biorefineries. These projects will work to solve critical research and developmental challenges encountered for the successful scale-up and reliable operations of integrated biorefineries (IBRs), decrease capital and operating expenses, and focus on the manufacture of advanced or cellulosic biofuels and higher-value bioproducts. These investments support the development of bioproducts, a workforce in bioenergy, and help to spur the creation of a sustainable domestic bioeconomy.
This Integrated Biorefinery Optimization funding opportunity is coordinated and supported jointly between DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). More information on the NIFA program can be found on the agency website.
NYC says the hard work of reaching 'zero waste' by 2030 is just beginning
By Cole Rosengren, Waste Dive.
New York City has been making measurable progress in recent years, but without significant buy-in from the public and local legislators, the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) recognizes that achieving "zero waste" by 2030 will be a tall order.
"We are on track but I’m going to need some help, folks," said DSNY Commissioner Kathryn Garcia during a Sept. 18 hearing of the City Council's sanitation committee. "There are going to be some big controversial projects that are going to come up in the future."
By Cole Rosengren, Waste Dive.
New York City has been making measurable progress in recent years, but without significant buy-in from the public and local legislators, the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) recognizes that achieving "zero waste" by 2030 will be a tall order.
"We are on track but I’m going to need some help, folks," said DSNY Commissioner Kathryn Garcia during a Sept. 18 hearing of the City Council's sanitation committee. "There are going to be some big controversial projects that are going to come up in the future."
According to newly released data from FY17, the city's residential diversion rate was 17.4% and total diversion for DSNY-managed material was 20.5%. Exact data on the city's commercial diversion rate is often disputed, though some estimates put it in the low 20% range.
A potential "save-as-you-throw" program and commercial waste franchise zones were repeatedly mentioned as the biggest game changers during the multi-hour hearing on New York's "zero waste" progress. New strategies for engaging residents, such as publicizing district-level diversion rankings were also discussed. Council members repeatedly asked for more transparency on this publicly available data, though were hesitant about comparing neighborhoods.
U.S. Department of Transportation Announces $55 Million in Grants to Support High-Tech Low-No Buses, American Manufacturing
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today announced $55 million in grant selections through the Low or No Emission (Low-No) Vehicle program, which funds the development of transit buses and infrastructure that use advanced fuel technologies. Fifty-one projects in 39 states will receive a share of the funding.
“The projects selected through the highly-competitive Low-No program all demonstrate strong value to American communities,” said FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams. “As transit providers nationwide face a backlog of maintenance needs, it is imperative to replace aging buses near the end of their useful life with newer, cleaner models that are also more efficient to operate and maintain.”
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today announced $55 million in grant selections through the Low or No Emission (Low-No) Vehicle program, which funds the development of transit buses and infrastructure that use advanced fuel technologies. Fifty-one projects in 39 states will receive a share of the funding.
“The projects selected through the highly-competitive Low-No program all demonstrate strong value to American communities,” said FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams. “As transit providers nationwide face a backlog of maintenance needs, it is imperative to replace aging buses near the end of their useful life with newer, cleaner models that are also more efficient to operate and maintain.”
Eligible projects included those that replace, rehabilitate, lease, and purchase buses and related equipment as well as projects to purchase, rehabilitate, construct or lease bus-related facilities, such as buildings for bus storage and maintenance. Projects can also include workforce development components to train the next generation of transit employees.
“The projects selected through the highly-competitive Low-No program all demonstrate strong value to American communities,” said FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams. “As transit providers nationwide face a backlog of maintenance needs, it is imperative to replace aging buses near the end of their useful life with newer, cleaner models that are also more efficient to operate and maintain.”
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Waste Not: Pinehill landfill launches clean fuel operation
By James Draper, Kilgore News Herald.
As organic waste in a landfill breaks down, it releases methane – the gas is now being captured by dozens of collectors spread across the Pinehill Landfill.
Flowing to a brand new landfill gas-to-energy facility on site, the decomposition byproduct is being processed to natural gas standards and piped away in a clean fuel project officially unveiled Tuesday at the Republic Services operation north of Kilgore.
By James Draper, Kilgore News Herald.
As organic waste in a landfill breaks down, it releases methane – the gas is now being captured by dozens of collectors spread across the Pinehill Landfill.
Flowing to a brand new landfill gas-to-energy facility on site, the decomposition byproduct is being processed to natural gas standards and piped away in a clean fuel project officially unveiled Tuesday at the Republic Services operation north of Kilgore.
The Environmental Protection Agency quantifies the benefits of ‘high BTU’ landfill gas projects, says Luke Morrow.
“It shows that this project offers the same carbon reduction as that of over 182,000 acres of forest annually,” the president of Morrow Renewables said at the landfill Tuesday morning, the mounds of the landfill on one side, the towers of the new plant rising behind him. “It is also the equivalent of removing the carbon dioxide emissions from almost 22 million gallons of gasoline annually.
Enerkem Starts Commercial Production of Cellulosic Ethanol Canada Biofuels Facility
By Waste360 Staff.
Biofuels and renewable chemicals producer Enerkem Inc. has started the commercial production of cellulosic ethanol at its biofuels facility in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The facility is the first commercial-scale plant in the world to produce cellulosic ethanol made from non-recyclable, non-compostable mixed municipal solid waste.
Development of the plant started earlier this decade, and the first stage opened in 2014, allowing it produce methanol. Last year, the plant shut down briefly so construction of its final stage could be completed, enabling the methanol to be converted to ethanol.
Cal ARB to Host Sept. 22 Workshop on Proposed LCFS Amendments
On September 8, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) announced that it will hold a public workshop on September 22 to discuss proposed amendments to the state's Low Carbon Fuel Standard.
Participants will have opportunity to provide feedback during the workshop on draft regulatory text for proposed LCFS announcements. Staff presentations and draft text have not yet been released, but are expected to be made available on the ARB website in advance of the workshop.
On September 8, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) announced that it will hold a public workshop on September 22 to discuss proposed amendments to the state's Low Carbon Fuel Standard.
Participants will have opportunity to provide feedback during the workshop on draft regulatory text for proposed LCFS announcements. Staff presentations and draft regulatory text have not yet been released, but are expected to be made available on the ARB website in advance of the workshop.
Details are as follows:
DATE: Friday, September 22, 2017
TIME: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Coastal Hearing Room, Second Floor
ADDRESS: Cal/EPA Headquarters Building, 1001 "I" Street, Sacramento, California 95814
Interested stakeholders can participate in the workshop via webcast or teleconference.
View ARB's full announcement HERE.