RNG NEWS
Stay up to date with the latest stories, insights, and announcements.Connecticut legislature considering bill to boost biogas and RNG use
The Connecticut legislature is considering a bill that would require gas companies to ensure at least 5% of their output or services be from renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2033.
By Cody Boteler, Waste Dive.
The Connecticut legislature is considering a bill that would require gas companies to ensure at least 5% of their output or services be from renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2033.
By Cody Boteler, Waste Dive.
The bill would create a renewable portfolio standard and establish a procurement process for RNG, direct the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to establish quality standards for RNG, and require electric distribution companies to acquire electricity from a biomass facility.
The legislation comes after a report from The Gas Technology Institute and Quantum Biopower revealed Connecticut has potential capacity for 41 MW of electricity from RNG and could displace 540,000 tons of carbon dioxide. Biomass, as defined in the bill, includes landfill gas and anaerobic digestion.
Biogas Facility to Convert Organic Waste to Power in Wine Country
Planned for full operation in mid-2018, San Luis Obispo County’s new state-of-the-art anaerobic digestion facility will convert source-separated organic waste into biogas and high-grade compost.
By Jim McMahon, Biomass Magazine.
Planned for full operation in mid-2018, San Luis Obispo County’s new state-of-the-art anaerobic digestion facility will convert source-separated organic waste into biogas and high-grade compost.
By Jim McMahon, Biomass Magazine.
San Luis Obispo County, located along the Pacific Ocean in Central California between San Francisco and Los Angeles, is known for its breathtaking seascapes, miles of oak-studded rolling chaparral hills, and prolific wine production—the third largest wine-producing county in California. Its population of 283,000 resides in small communities scattered along the beaches, coastal hills and mountains of the California Coast Ranges. Cities like Pismo Beach, Grover Beach and Morro Bay dot the coast, while slightly inland is the county’s largest community, the city of San Luis Obispo. It is here where California’s most streamlined project is underway for the conversion of organic waste into biogas and high-grade natural compost, through anaerobic digestion (AD).
Landfill Remote Control Systems are Becoming More Sophisticated
As operators look to cut costs and improve efficiency, industry experts see automation within landfill sites further advancing.
- SCS Engineers' Remote Monitoring and Control (RMC) network includes features like visualization, alarms and data recording.
- Falls River, Mass.-based Loci Controls has come online with technology to simultaneously monitor multiple wells remotely, measuring for pressure and gas composition among metrics, with valves automatically adjusting to optimize gas collection.
By Arlene Karidis, Waste 360.
Washington groups push carbon-pricing ballot measure
SEATTLE (AP) — A coalition of environmental, labor and social justice groups is pushing forward with a citizens’ initiative to put a price on carbon emissions. The groups said they submitted a proposed initiative Friday to the secretary of state.
By My Northwest.
No Deal Reached in Second White House Meeting this Week on RFS
By Erin Voegele, Biomass Magazine.
On March 1, President Trump met with a variety of stakeholders from the biofuels and refining industries to continue the discussion on the Renewable Fuel Standard and renewable identification numbers (RINs). The event followed a Feb. 27 meeting in which Trump met with Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa; Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; Ted Cruz, R-Texas; and Pat Toomey, R-Pa., Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to discuss the RFS and RINs. No deal on the biofuels program was reached at either meeting.
By Erin Voegele, Biomass Magazine.
On March 1, President Trump met with a variety of stakeholders from the biofuels and refining industries to continue the discussion on the Renewable Fuel Standard and renewable identification numbers (RINs). The event followed a Feb. 27 meeting in which Trump met with Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa; Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; Ted Cruz, R-Texas; and Pat Toomey, R-Pa., Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to discuss the RFS and RINs. No deal on the biofuels program was reached at either meeting.
“Both sides made their case and the only agreement was to look at economic studies for impact,” Grassley said following the March 1 meeting. “No decisions were made. Low corn prices are already squeezing farmers’ bottom lines. If the RFS were undermined with a RIN price cap or waiver, that would be made even worse. Thousands of jobs in rural America could be lost. An emerging solution appears to be year-round E15, which would drive down RIN prices. After crossing the 15 billion gallon a year threshold, RIN prices would drop dramatically and remain low. And studies prove it.”
Washington State's Carbon Tax Bill Dies in Legislature
By Phuong Le, The Olympian.
Another ambitious effort to pass a carbon tax in Washington state has faltered as both Gov. Jay Inslee and the bill's prime sponsor said Thursday that there weren't enough votes to pass the measure out of the state Senate.
Washington would have been the first U.S. state to impose a straight tax on carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels like gasoline and electricity and the legislation has been closely watched nationally.
Shoppers Can Now Fill Up With RNG at a Finland IKEA Store
By NGV Global.
Gasum has opened a gas filling station in Lommila, Espoo, at the IKEA department store. At the new refueling station, pressurized biogas (biomethane) and natural gas fuel are available for cars, distribution vehicles, garbage trucks and buses. This gas station is the world’s first gas filling station opened in conjunction with an IKEA store.
By NGV Global.
Gasum has opened a gas filling station in Lommila, Espoo, at the IKEA department store. At the new refueling station, pressurized biogas (biomethane) and natural gas fuel are available for cars, distribution vehicles, garbage trucks and buses. This gas station is the world’s first gas filling station opened in conjunction with an IKEA store.
The cooperation between Gasum and IKEA Finland is resulting in the production of biogas from food waste generated in all of Finland’s IKEA restaurants. In addition, the cooperation aims to increase the distribution of environmentally road fuel gas to serve the needs of consumers and enterprises alike. The Finnish IKEA stores are the first IKEA units at which gas filling stations are introduced.
DTE Energy CEO Gerry Anderson Receives Prestigious Climate Leadership Award
Aggressive sustainability initiative earns recognition from Climate Registry, C2ES
DETROIT, March 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- DTE Energy Chairman and CEO Gerry Anderson has been selected as the recipient of the Individual Climate Leadership award by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) and The Climate Registry for driving DTE Energy's goal to reduce carbon emissions by more than 80 percent by 2050.
L'ORÉAL USA'S New Kentucky Renewable Natural Gas Agreement Furthers Commitment to Diversified Energy Portfolio, Offers Financially Sustainable Model to Support New RNG Projects in the Future
L'ORÉAL USA Announces Innovative Approach to Achieve Carbon Neutrality for its Operations Facilities by 2019
New York, N.Y. – March 1, 2018 – Today, L’Oréal USA announced its plans to achieve carbon neutrality in 2019 for all 21 of its U.S. manufacturing and distribution facilities with a financially sustainable approach that could potentially serve as a model to support new renewable natural gas (RNG) projects in the future. In order to reach this milestone, L’Oréal USA is adding to its diversified energy portfolio with RNG purchased from a new processing facility in Kentucky.
L'ORÉAL USA Announces Innovative Approach to Achieve Carbon Neutrality for its Operations Facilities by 2019
New York, N.Y. – March 1, 2018 – Today, L’Oréal USA announced its plans to achieve carbon neutrality in 2019 for all 21 of its U.S. manufacturing and distribution facilities with a financially sustainable approach that could potentially serve as a model to support new renewable natural gas (RNG) projects in the future. In order to reach this milestone, L’Oréal USA is adding to its diversified energy portfolio with RNG purchased from a new processing facility in Kentucky. The company currently has 17 renewable energy installations across the country, including large on-site solar arrays in Arkansas, New Jersey and Kentucky as well as wind turbines in Texas. The RNG purchased from the new project alone is expected to eliminate the carbon equivalent of 1.8 million gallons of gasoline consumed per year.
“Achieving carbon neutrality for all of our Operations facilities furthers our commitment to being a sustainability leader in the United States,” said Frédéric Rozé, President and CEO of L’Oréal USA. “We have seen that a dedication to sustainability fosters innovation, inspires creativity and builds a strong team spirit. This new milestone can be credited to our passionate teams and their vision in finding a new renewable energy approach that benefits one of our local communities while being a long-term, financially viable solution.
RFS News Alert: No Deal Reached in White House Meeting
"No deal," commented Senator Chuck Grassley (IA-R) after the conclusion of a meeting this morning hosted by President Donald Trump at the White House to discuss potential compromises to resolve concerns related to compliance obligations with the Renewable Fuel Standard.
The meeting included Senators representing both corn-ethanol and oil refinery interests, including Senators Grassley, Ernst (IA-R), Cruz (TX-R), and Toomey (PA-R), and was also scheduled to include agency heads of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Agriculture.
White House and agency representatives confirmed the meeting occurred, but declined to comment immediately following its conclusion.
Read more HERE.
Stay tuned for more follow up details in the RNG NEWS Brief later this week.
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