RNG NEWS
Waste Management Helps Fuel Seattle Public Utilities to Fleet 'Innovator of the Year' Award
Waste Management is using renewable natural gas and Recology is using renewable diesel. Both will also pilot electric vehicles, including two Class 8 heavy duty electric route trucks, four Class 6 midsize electric trucks for small routes and container delivery, and 10 electric supervisor pick-up trucks and support vehicles.
By Cole Rosengren, Waste Dive.
RNG Coalition's Manning Feraci Testifies at U.S. House Hearing on future of RFS
On Tuesday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on the Environment convened a hearing on the 21st Century Transportation Fuels Act, a discussion draft led by U.S. Reps. John Shimkus, R-Ill., and Bill Flores, R-Texas, to reshape federal transportation fuel policies.
Notably, the hearing discussed the future of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program.
“Since the RFS was first established in 2005 and expanded in 2007, much has changed in the market for transportation fuels. If federal policies are not routinely evaluated and updated to reflect market conditions, consumers end up having less than optimal choices,” said Flores.
By Betsy Lillian, NGT News
Hawaii Commissions its First RNG Production Location at Hono'uli'uli Wastewater Facility
A first of its kind renewable gas facility opened on O'ahu Wednesday.
The plant is connected to the City's Hono'uli'uli Wastewater Treatment facility and is managed by Hawaii Gas. The purpose is to turn sewage into energy and hopefully eliminate the need for nearly 15,000 barrels of oil per year. "Today is a huge milestone because we want to do more renewable natural gas," CEO of Hawai'i Gas Alicia Moy said.
By KITV4 Island News
Anaergia Begins Construction at Rialto Bioenergy Facility
Anaergia, Inc. announced the start of construction at the Rialto Bioenergy Facility (RBF).
The RBF will help address two pressing waste management issues in Southern California: food waste diversion from landfills and biosolids management. The RBF will convert 700 tons per day of food waste and 300 tons per day of biosolids into renewable natural gas, renewable electricity and Class A organic fertilizer. When construction is completed in 2020, it will be the largest food waste diversion and energy recovery facility in North America, according to the company.
By Waste360 Staff
Congress Passes 2018 Farm Bill
The House and Senate have passed the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018, otherwise known as the farm bill, which keeps intact funding for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in agriculture.
According to the Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC), the legislation maintains the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) at $50 million per year of mandatory funding.
By Betsy Lillian, North American Wind Power
Three CalBio Dairy Pilot Project Clusters Selected for Development
On Monday, December 3, members from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announced that California Bioenergy LLC (CalBio) was awarded funding for 3 Dairy Pilot Projects selected to install dairy digester renewable fuel technology. The announcement is available at http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/renewable_natural_gas/.
The dairy bio-methane pilot program is part of the state’s strategy to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants, including methane, which is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Legislation adopted in 2016 requires the state to reduce methane emissions from the dairy and other livestock sectors by 40 percent by 2030. Emissions from dairy manure account for approximately 25 percent of the State’s overall methane emissions. The inter-agency committee that selected the projects consisted of representatives from the CPUC, CARB, and CDFA.
By Neil Black, Dairy Business
Evonik Sepuran Membranes successfully purify landfill gas at Enerdyn's large-scale biomethane production facility
Evonik Corporation today 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 (scfm) feed flow with low (2%) 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 RVO – Details on the digits and reactions ‘round the country
By Helena Tavares Kennedy, Biofuels Digest.
What a whirlwind weekend after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced their final renewable volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard program for 2019. “It’s just numbers,” some say, but oh no, not in the biofuels world. It’s never just numbers. This time it’s about waivers, fixing the damage done, and ensuring a bright future for biofuels. It’s about hollow chocolate bunnies and two steps back for some.
French mathematician Rene Descartes is best known for “I think, therefore I am,” but he also said “Perfect numbers, like perfect men, are rare.” So true in this case as not everyone is happy about EPA’s numbers and how they relate to small refiner waivers. If you want to know get the details on the digits from EPA, the waiver what-what, the reactions ‘round the country from biodiesel, biogas, ethanol and more, the Digest has you covered.
Dominion Energy, Smithfield Foods team up to convert manure into natural gas
RICHMOND, Va. -- Dominion Energy and Smithfield Foods announced a joint venture Tuesday that will convert waste methane into renewable energy.
The companies say the partnership, called Align Renewable Natural Gas (RNG), will “transform the future” of sustainable energy and agriculture.
The project will capture manure from hog farms across the region and convert it into renewable natural gas to generate electricity, heat homes and power local industries, according to officials.
By Vernon Freeman, Jr., WTVR.
EPA’s 2019 Cellulosic Biofuel Volume Will Increase RNG Project Investment and Development
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 30, 2018
Washington, DC - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its proposed 2019 Renewable Fuel Volume Obligations (RVO) under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
“We appreciate that the EPA’s 418 million gallon cellulosic biofuel volume requirement for 2019 reflects continued growth in the renewable natural gas industry. It provides a policy framework that will lead RNG stakeholders to invest in and build new RNG production facilities just as the Renewable Fuel Standard is designed to do,” said Johannes Escudero, CEO of the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition).
The RNG industry produces 95% of the fuel used to meet the RFS program’s cellulosic biofuel requirement. The industry’s cellulosic biofuel production has increased significantly in recent years. October 2014 RNG production was 6.6 million gallons; October 2018 RNG production was 28.5 million gallons. An additional 55 RNG production facilities are under construction or development.
“The growth in production of renewable natural gas and the completion of nearly 50 new production facilities from coast to coast since 2014 is proof positive that the RFS is working as intended for cellulosic and advanced biofuels,” said Escudero.
“We appreciate EPA timely finalizing these expected volumes and, as stated by EPA, we look forward to working to ensure that the program, including small refiner exemptions, are administered in a way that do not undermine the program’s advanced biofuel requirements,” concluded Escudero.
About the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas
The RNG Coalition is the trade association representing over 160 companies and organizations dedicated to the advancement of RNG, including as an ultra-clean, domestically-produced, renewable fuel in North America. The RNG industry captures and converts biogas (mostly methane and carbon dioxide) from organic waste streams to produce RNG. Common biogas sources include landfills, wastewater treatment facilities, livestock and agricultural digesters and commercial food waste facilities. RNG is fully fungible with conventional natural gas, and may be used as a direct substitute in CNG, LNG, and commercial, industrial and residential natural gas applications.