Clean Energy To Supply Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport With Renewable Natural Gas

DFW Becomes First Airport Outside California To Use Redeem™ RNG

Via BusinessWire.

DALLAS – Clean Energy Fuels Corp. announced on November 15 at the Airports Going Green 2017 conference, that host airport Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport awarded Clean Energy a renewable natural gas (RNG) fueling contract for the airport’s vehicle fleet. The contract calls for Clean Energy to provide the airport with its Redeem™ brand of RNG, the first renewable and commercially available vehicle fuel made entirely from 100% organic waste. The use of RNG has the potential to reduce DFW fleet emissions by approximately 70%.

In addition to the fueling agreement, Clean Energy and DFW extended the current operations and maintenance agreement for the airport’s public natural gas fueling stations. The contract stations dispense approximately 2 million gasoline gallon equivalents (GGEs) each year.

“We continue to see strong interest in our Redeem RNG product,” said Tyler Henn, vice president and general manager of Clean Energy Renewables. “Businesses and municipalities are learning that by fueling with RNG you not only get a cleaner fuel but you get a fuel that is domestically produced and more economical.”

DFW is the only airport in the United States to be certified as Carbon Neutral and the largest airport in the world with that distinction. It will become the first airport outside of California to use Redeem™ RNG.

“DFW has a strong commitment to sustainability, and we will continue to look for innovative ways to reduce our emissions, while improving the customer experience,” said Robert Horton, DFW’s Vice President of Environmental Affairs. “Using RNG for our fleet of vehicles will help us reduce our carbon footprint and our operating costs. It makes good business sense.”

Clean Energy conducted the design, build, operations and maintenance for the airport’s first natural gas fueling station in 2000 and was selected to build and operate the second station in 2011.

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. is the leading provider of natural gas fuel for transportation in North America. We build and operate CNG and LNG vehicle fueling stations; manufacture CNG and LNG equipment and technologies; and deliver more CNG and LNG vehicle fuel than any other company in the U.S. Clean Energy is also the country’s largest supplier of RNG and believes its Redeem™ RNG fuel is the cleanest transportation fuel commercially available, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70%. For more information, visit www.CleanEnergyFuels.com.

UPS Dramatically Increases Use Of Renewable Natural Gas

Via Global NewsWire.

UPS Agreement for 10 Million Gallon Equivalents a Year with Big Ox Energy is its Largest Commitment to Date

ATLANTA, Nov. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --  UPS (NYSE: UPS) today announced an agreement with Big Ox Energy (a wholly owned subsidiary of Environmental Energy Capital LLC) to purchase 10 million gallon equivalents of renewable natural gas (RNG) per year. This is the largest investment in RNG to date for the company, and the agreement runs through 2024. Use of RNG yields up to a 90% reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional diesel.

In addition to the agreement with Big Ox, UPS signed a five-year agreement earlier this year with AMP energy for 1.5 million gallon equivalents of RNG per year from the Fair Oaks dairy farm in Indiana. The RNG agreements will help UPS reach a key sustainability goal: 40 percent of all ground transportation fleet fuel from sources other than conventional gasoline and diesel by 2025.

“Natural gas is a proven alternative fuel to gasoline and diesel and is a key building block for our goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our ground fleet,” said  Mike Casteel, UPS director of fleet procurement. “These agreements add significantly to our investment in the use of RNG and will help put us on track to nearly triple our annual use of RNG. They are also a direct reflection of our ongoing commitment to help shape the renewable natural gas industry.”

UPS fueling stations in Lexington, Ky.; Louisville, Ky.; New Stanton, Pa.; Richmond, Va.; Roanoke, Va.; West Columbia, S.C.; Horsham, Pa. and Doraville, Ga. will use the Bix Ox RNG to fuel UPS® delivery vehicles and tractors.

RNG, also known as biomethane, can be derived from many abundant and renewable sources, including decomposing organic waste in landfills, wastewater treatment and agriculture. It is then distributed through the natural gas pipeline system, making it available for use as liquefied natural gas (LNG) or compressed natural gas (CNG).

“UPS continues to make investments in renewable natural gas that help move the industry forward,” said Rob Larsen, CEO of Big Ox Energy. “Our agreement with UPS is one of the largest contracts we have signed to date and among the largest ever in the RNG market.”

UPS used 61 million gallons of natural gas in its ground fleet in 2016, which included 4.6 million gallons of RNG and is on track to use 14 million gallons of RNG in 2017. UPS drives more than 5,200 CNG and LNG vehicles in its fleet of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. Earlier this year, UPS announced a more than $90 million investment in natural gas vehicles and infrastructure. This investment included an additional six compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations, 390 new CNG tractors and terminal trucks, and 250 liquefied natural gas (LNG) vehicles.

Since 2009, UPS has invested more than $750 million in alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles and fueling stations globally. UPS deploys the more than 8,500 vehicles in its Rolling Lab to utilize technologies that work best depending on the needs of the delivery route. From old-fashioned pedal power and electric-assisted bicycles in dense urban areas like London and Hamburg to electric and hybrid electric vehicles in the U.S., and natural gas, renewable natural gas and propane globally, UPS puts sustainability innovation into action, all over the world.

About Big Ox Energy
Big Ox Energy’s mission is to be a sustainable, scalable, and cost-competitive waste recycling provider. Big Ox Energy converts organic  waste from municipal waste water facilities, agriculture, and food processing into clean-burning, pipeline-grade, renewable natural gas, known as “green gas, and other useful by-products.” Good for the economy, the environment, and the industries it supports, “green gas” is a renewable, domestic energy source.

About Environmental Energy Capital, LLC
Environmental Energy Capital LLC’s (EEC’s) mission is to utilize private capital efficiently to build energy and infrastructure projects that promote sustainability and address energy, climate and environmental challenges.  EEC’s initial focus is on scaling the production of renewable natural gas by developing, owning and operating  facilities that create biogas and other useful products from diverse organic waste streams.

About UPS
UPS (NYSE) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions transporting packages and freight; facilitating international trade, and deploying advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. UPS is committed to operating more sustainably – for customers, the environment and the communities we serve around the world.  Learn more about our efforts at ups.com/sustainability. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. The company can be found on the web at ups.com and its corporate blog can be found at longitudes.ups.com. To get UPS news direct, follow @UPS_News on Twitter.

18 more members of Congress ask EPA for strong Cellulosic RFS Volumes for 2018

On November 16, eighteen additional members of Congress sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt, urging that EPA increase the 2018 Renewable Volume Obligation volumes for cellulosic biofuel and biodiesel in its Final Rule, expected by November 30.

The representatives pointed to negative economic and environmental effects of reducing required volumes for biofuel and biodiesel. Rather, they said that increasing biofuel and biodiesel use would not only reduce air pollution, but also would save consumers money at the gas pump. 

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Canada's Clean Fuel Standard Plan to be Released "In the coming months."

By Mia Rabson, The Canadian Press, via The Globe and Mail

OTTAWA — The single biggest element of Canada’s national emissions reduction plan might not be unveiled on time.

A year ago, the federal government announced plans to develop a national clean fuels standard to reduce harmful emissions. It was supposed to start with consultations in the spring and then follow up with the framework this fall.

The discussion paper came in February followed by discussion groups and consultations with other governments and industry, but Environment Minister Catherine McKenna will no longer commit to unveiling the framework before Christmas.

When asked specifically if it was still coming before Christmas as planned, all McKenna will now say is it is expected “in the coming months.”

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Green Gas certificate demand in the UK smashes the 1TWh barrier

By Bioenergy Insight.

Suppliers have now sold enough renewable gas through the Green Gas Certification Scheme (GGCS) to cover the annual consumption of 83,000 homes, cook 300 million Sunday roasts, or fry four billion eggs.

The scheme is announcing today that sales of its certificates have now hit 1 TWh.  

Increasing numbers of consumers are becoming aware that, just as they can buy renewable electricity ‘certificates’, the rapid growth in the number of plants injecting biomethane into the gas grid is opening opportunities to include green gas as part of their energy mix. 

Nearly all the leading business energy suppliers are now using the GGCS to offer green gas to their customers, with Corona Energy making the largest volume of sales to date.

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DTE Energy to continue capitalizing on renewable opportunities

By Kim Riley, Daily Energy Insider.

ORLANDO — Detroit-based DTE Energy, the state’s biggest electricity supplier, is also Michigan’s largest investor in and producer of renewable energy, Jerry Norcia, the company’s president and chief operating officer, said during the Edison Electric Institute’s (EEI) 52nd Financial Conference held here Nov. 5-8.

The Fortune 300 company’s growth has been driven by “strong, stable utilities and complementary non-utility businesses,” Norcia said Nov. 7 in disclosing the company’s latest financials during an EEI conference session simultaneously webcast the same day.

DTE’s operating units include the investor-owned electric utility that serves 2.2 million customers in southeastern Michigan and a natural gas utility serving 1.3 million customers statewide. The DTE Energy portfolio includes non-utility energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, natural gas pipelines, storage and energy marketing and trading.

Opportunities for DTE Energy growth include the company’s transition to cleaner energy, automation and technology deployment, said Norcia, who outlined DTE’s five-year $17 billion capital investment plan — a 21 percent increase over the current plan — that is expected to extend the company’s current growth from 2018 through 2022.

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Xebec Adsorption Receives Multi-Million Dollar Orders from France, Italy & China

Via TheNewswire.

MONTREAL, (QC) / TheNewswire / November 10, 2017 - Xebec Adsorption Inc. ("Xebec"), a global provider of gas generation, purification, and filtration solutions announced a significant lift in its order book today, driven by more than CDN$ 9.8 million in recent biogas orders from Europe and China.

In France, Xebec has won 12 more contracts through its French partner for biogas upgrading systems to be delivered in 2018. For this group of projects, Xebec will supply core technology while its partner will provide the complete biogas upgrading systems. One system in particular will be Xebec's largest project yet in France - upgrading 2,000 Nm3/h of biogas into biomethane, also known as renewable natural gas (RNG), for injection into the national grid. These orders firmly position Xebec as the market leader in France in PSA purification technology. 

In Italy, Xebec has received an order for a flange-to-flange agri-food waste biogas upgrading plant to be located close to Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region for 1,000 Nm3/h of biogas to be upgraded to RNG for injection into their national grid.

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House Energy & Commerce Environment Subcommittee Announces December 7 Hearing with EPA Admin. Pruitt

WASHINGTON, DC – House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and Environment Subcommittee Chairman John Shimkus (R-IL) today announced that #SubEnvironment will be holding a hearing on Thursday, December 7, 2017 featuring Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt. 

“We’re looking forward to receiving a much-needed update from Mr. Pruitt on his priorities for the agency, including his stated policy of getting EPA “back to the basics” and its impact on the agency’s activity going forward,” said Walden and Shimkus. “Following EPA’s controversial and expansive interpretation of its authorities during the past administration, it is past time for EPA to refocus on pursuing its important public health and environmental missions as Congress originally intended.” 

More information on the hearing will be available on the committee’s website HERE as it is made available.

Washington State proposes plan for $112.7 million VW settlement

Via WA Department of Ecology.

OLYMPIA – Washington state aims to turn an environmental scandal into an opportunity to transform the transportation system and improve air quality under a new proposal released Thursday.

The plan would use $112.7 million the state is eligible to receive from a federal settlement with Volkswagen to reduce air pollution from diesel vehicles and increase access to electric vehicle infrastructure. 

“This settlement represents an opportunity to begin building a transportation system for the next 100 years in our state,” said Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. “By investing in zero emission or near-zero emission vehicles, vessels, and infrastructure, we can dramatically reduce pollution, better protect the public, and slash carbon emissions in Washington.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California negotiated a $14.7 billion nationwide settlement with Volkswagen for violating the federal Clean Air Act after the automaker admitted installing illegal software on many of its diesel vehicles to cheat emissions tests. As a result, these vehicles emitted up to 40 times the permitted levels of nitrogen oxides — a harmful air pollutant linked to asthma attacks and increased deaths from respiratory and cardiovascular disease. 

Approximately 24,000 of the affected vehicles were registered in Washington, making the state eligible for $112.7 million from the settlement. Gov. Inslee designated the Washington Department of Ecology as the agency to lead efforts to develop the state’s plan, ensure the plan meets the settlement requirements, and manage the funds. 

Under the plan, the settlement funds could pay for projects that install electric vehicle charging stations, replace diesel engines in buses, public vehicles, and vessels with electric engines or cleaner diesel engines, or make other investments in reducing diesel emissions in Washington. 

“By cheating emissions tests, Volkswagen exposed Washingtonians to more pollution and threatened their health,” said Ecology Director Maia Bellon. “Using this settlement to right those wrongs and protect our communities in the future is the best investment we can make.”

Over the past year, Washington residents were invited to give Ecology input on the vision for selecting projects that reduce emissions and identifying what investments were important to them. The agency also worked with the departments of Transportation, Commerce, Enterprise Services, the Office of Financial Management, the Attorney General’s Office, and Gov. Inslee’s policy advisors to develop the proposal. Next steps for the group of agencies working on the plan include designing the funding program and a process to select projects. 

Public meetings

The public is invited to upcoming meetings to learn more about the settlement, how Washington can invest the money, and the proposed plan.

• Webinar: 10 a.m. on Nov, 28. Register online.
• Facebook streaming town hall: 6 p.m. on Nov. 29. 

Weigh in - The public can review the proposed plan and provide feedback online through 9 a.m., Dec. 19, 2017.

Contact: Camille St. Onge, communications, 360-407-6932, @ecologyWA

Virginia regulators set to unveil new climate plan after Northam victory

By Robert Walton, Utility Dive.

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality next week will present a new climate plan for the state, aimed at reducing carbon emissions and placing it on a path to join a regional greenhouse gas trading initiative.

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a carbon cap-and-trade system used by nine Northeast states, has examined the DEQ's plan and issued a statement saying it "appears consistent with the RGGI program in a number of key ways."

The new climate plan is seen as a direct result of the election of Democrat Ralph Northam as governor on Tuesday of this week. Virginia has seen its carbon dioxide emissions rise about 7% since 2015, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency, while most states have decreased emissions.

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