RNG NEWS
Stay up to date with the latest stories, insights, and announcements.House lawmakers ask EPA to stop issuing RFS waivers
By Erin Voegele, Ethanol Producer Magazine.
On Oct. 15, a group of 19 democratic members of Congress sent a letter to the U.S. EPA expressing concern over the Trump Administration’s widespread issuance of waivers to the Renewable Fuel Standard.
“We are concerned that these actions have effectively cut blending targets by 2.25 billion gallons, contributing to higher gas prices and elevated levels of harmful emissions, especially in communities of color,” they wrote. “We therefore urge you to halt the issuance of any additional waivers and to instead consider steps that could help unlock the full health and economic benefits of biofuels.”
Regulators' Approval Clears Way for Construction of NC RNG Plant
N.C. regulators have approved Piedmont Natural Gas’ agreement to allow Optima BioEnergy to connect a proposed swine-waste biogas plant in the town of Tar Heel.
The approval issued Monday by the N.C. Utilities Commission clears the way for Wilmington-based Optima to start construction on its second biogas plant in eastern North Carolina. Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE: DUK), which owns Piedmont, intends to buy the gas from the OptimaTH natural gas plants at both its utilities in the Carolinas.
$35 Million Biogas Plant Coming to Southeastern North Carolina
ORRUM — Construction will begin soon on a $35 million biogas plant in Orrum that will convert waste to energy while employing more than a dozen people in high-paying jobs, according to a statement from the Robeson County Economic Development Commission.
Channing Jones, commission director, said in the statement that Green Energy Sustainable Solutions would begin construction before the end of the year with plans to have the plant operating in early 2020.
How (Almost) Everyone Came To Love Low Carbon Fuels In California
Automakers and energy utilities now embrace California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, and even oil companies accept it
Sometimes the best policies must overcome early struggles. A great example is the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), ordered by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2007 in support of California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The LCFS is a statewide policy designed to reduce the lifecycle carbon intensity (CI) of transportation fuels—that is, the total greenhouse gas emissions from production to consumption, including raw materials, transportation, and processing. It achieves this goal by setting a regulatory target for fuel CI. Market forces then determine the most efficient way to stay below the target, even as it strengthens over time.
By Dan Sperling and Colin W. Murphy.
Evonik Releases Results of its First U.S. Landfill Biogas Upgrade in Kansas
Evonik Corporation released the results of its first U.S. landfill biogas upgrading installation at Enerdyne’s large-scale biomethane production facility at Lawrence, Kansas.
Since May, the plant has been running a membrane system to remove carbon dioxide at 1,600 standard cubic feet per meter feed flow with two percent methane slip. Besides desulfurization and water removal, the facility operates with a proprietary system to remove VOC’s, siloxanes, oxygen, and moisture which was designed and fabricated by Advanced Biogas Systems, an affiliate of Enerdyne.
Via Coatings World.
Evonik Corporation released the results of its first U.S. landfill biogas upgrading installation at Enerdyne’s large-scale biomethane production facility at Lawrence, Kansas.
Since May, the plant has been running a membrane system to remove carbon dioxide at 1,600 standard cubic feet per meter feed flow with two percent methane slip. Besides desulfurization and water removal, the facility operates with a proprietary system to remove VOC’s, siloxanes, oxygen, and moisture which was designed and fabricated by Advanced Biogas Systems, an affiliate of Enerdyne.
EPA puts off final say on science transparency rule
By Ellen Knickmeyer, Associated Press. Via ABC News.
The Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday it is putting off for at least a year any final announcement on a controversial proposal overhauling how the agency evaluates science.
The agency's so-called transparency in regulatory science rule was one of the most contentious proposed by former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, who stepped down last summer amid ethics scandals.
U.S. Department of Energy Invests $80 Million in Bioenergy R&D
By Kenny Walter, R&D.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is investing about $80 million on a selection of 36 research and development bioenergy projects that will enable cost-competitive, drop-in renewable hydrocarbon fuels, bio-based products and power from non-food biomass and waste feedstocks.
The goal of the funding is to reduce the cost of bio-based drop-in fuels to $3 per gallon by 2022.
“The selections announced today highlight some of the most innovative and advanced bioenergy technologies that have the potential to produce new sources of reliable and affordable energy for American families and businesses,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry said in a statement. “Developing all of our domestic energy resources is critical to keeping our nation prosperous and secure.”
AMP AMERICAS Opens Country's Largest Dairy Renewable Natural Gas Project
Former Camco Clean Energy Executive Andy Dvoracek Joins Amp Americas as VP Business Development
CHICAGO (October 15, 2018) – Renewable Dairy Fuels (RDF), a business unit of Amp Americas, announced today that its second biogas facility producing Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) from dairy waste is now operational and has begun delivering RNG into the NIPSCO natural gas pipeline system to be used as transportation fuel. The facility is located in Jasper County, Indiana and is now the largest dairy project of its kind in the country.
The Jasper County site will convert 600 tons of manure per day generated from 16,000 head of milking cows from the Bos, Herrema and Windy Ridge dairy farms into 100 percent renewable transportation fuel. The new facility is 50 percent larger than RDF’s first operation at Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana which has been online since 2011 and was the first (and the largest until today) dairy biogas-to-transportation fuel project in the country.
Former Camco Clean Energy Executive Andy Dvoracek Joins Amp Americas as VP Business Development
CHICAGO (October 15, 2018) – Renewable Dairy Fuels (RDF), a business unit of Amp Americas, announced today that its second biogas facility producing Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) from dairy waste is now operational and has begun delivering RNG into the NIPSCO natural gas pipeline system to be used as transportation fuel. The facility is located in Jasper County, Indiana and is now the largest dairy project of its kind in the country.
The Jasper County site will convert 945 tons of manure per day generated from 16,000 head of milking cows from the Bos, Herrema and Windy Ridge dairy farms into 100 percent renewable transportation fuel. The new facility is 50 percent larger than RDF’s first operation at Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana which has been online since 2011 and was the first (and the largest until today) dairy biogas-to-transportation fuel project in the country.
Amp Americas also announced today that former Camco Clean Energy executive Andy Dvoracek has joined Amp Americas as vice president of business development. Dvoracek will be responsible for new growth and expanding the company’s dairy RNG project portfolio.
Prior to joining Amp Americas, Dvoracek was vice president of development at Camco Clean Energy, a global leader in sustainable energy project development, where he managed origination and investment in carbon asset management projects and biogas development. In his role with Camco, he worked closely with Amp Americas and Fair Oaks Farms (site of Amp’s initial RNG project) for several years. He holds a BA from Saint John’s University and an MPA in Environmental Science, Policy and Management from Columbia.
“Andy has as much experience in RNG and working with dairy farms to reduce carbon emissions as anyone in the industry,” said Grant Zimmerman, CEO of Amp Americas. “We’ve worked extensively with Andy through our long-term partnership with Camco, one that will become even stronger with Andy on our team. With his wealth of valuable knowledge and strong network within the industry, he will be instrumental in helping us develop future dairy RNG projects.”
A pioneer in the renewable transportation fuel industry, Amp Americas continues to expand its national footprint and to invest heavily in dairy RNG projects by partnering with dairy farmers across the country to bring more ultra-low CI gas to market. Amp Americas is already producing at an annual rate of over 4 million gallons of RNG, and working on projects that will increase that rate in 2019 and beyond. In addition, the company’s network of high performance, ultra fast-fill CNG fueling stations is now up to twenty and continues to grow. The company supports some of the largest CNG fleets in the country including UPS, US Foods and Dairy Farmers of America.
“RNG reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 100 percent when compared to diesel. In addition to improving air quality and sustainability, converting dairy waste into transportation fuel improves farm profitability, creates well paying rural jobs and saves fleets money,” said Grant Zimmerman, CEO at Amp Americas. “There’s an abundance of dairy waste on farms all over the country that could be better leveraged to meet the demand for RNG.”
Cow manure from four farms is collected from the barns and delivered to tanks where it is heated to facilitate a process called anaerobic digestion. Much like digestive bacteria and enzymes in a cow’s stomach, microbes inside the tanks work to break down the waste and release methane, a form of renewable natural gas. The biogas is captured, purified, and compressed to become RNG that is then injected into the pipeline.
About Amp Americas
Amp Americas operates three business units: Renewable Dairy Fuels (RDF), Amp Renew and Amp CNG. RDF produces 100% renewable natural gas from dairy waste. RDF's anaerobic digester at Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana received the first dairy waste-to-vehicle fuel pathway certified by California's Air Resources Board (CARB). The project was also awarded a CI score of -254.94 gCO2e/MJ, the lowest ever issued by CARB. Amp Renew sources renewable gas from RDF and third party RNG developers to supply fuel to fleet customers through both owned and contracted station infrastructure. A member of the Department of Energy’s National Clean Fleets Partnership, Amp CNG builds, owns and operates a growing network of CNG fueling stations for long-haul trucking fleets. Visit www.ampamericas.com.
DC's aggressive clean energy bill gets initial hearing
Legislation proposed by five city council members would give Washington, DC one of the most aggressive clean energy targets in the country, requiring the District to use 100% renewable energy by 2032, reports The Washington Post. Under current goals, the city is on track to get 50% of its energy from renewable sources in that time.
The bill, which will get an initial hearing on Thursday, would also give the mayor permission to enact regional agreements with Virginia and Maryland to cut greenhouse gas emissions and would update the city’s building codes to promote efficiency.
The bill would raise electricity and natural gas fees for residents; sponsor Mary M. Cheh's office estimates rates would rise $2.10 per month on gas bills and less than $1 per month for electricity.
By Jason Plautz, SmartCities Dive.
E.P.A. to Disband a Key Scientific Review Panel on Air Pollution
WASHINGTON — An Environmental Protection Agency panel that advises the agency’s leadership on the latest scientific information about soot in the atmosphere is not listed as continuing its work next year, an E.P.A. official said.
The 20-person Particulate Matter Review Panel, made up of experts in microscopic airborne pollutants known to cause respiratory disease, is responsible for helping the agency decide what levels of pollutants are safe to breathe. Agency officials declined to say why the E.P.A. intends to stop convening the panel next year, particularly as the agency considers whether to revise air quality standards.
By Lisa Friedman, The New York Times.
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