RNG NEWS
Governor Murphy Ignoring Organic Waste as Clean Energy Source: Tomich
Gov. Phil Murphy pledged to restore New Jersey to national leadership in fighting climate change, building a green economy and transitioning to 100 percent clean energy by 2050.
He has already taken some laudable steps. He brought New Jersey back into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) to lower greenhouse emissions from electric power generation, and the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) to lower emissions from the transport sector, which is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, accounting for 40 percent of New Jersey’s emissions.
By, Matt Tomich, App
Washington State Tackles Transportation Emissions with Possible Clean Fuels Policy
The climate crisis demands an immediate response on multiple fronts, and while in Washington DC the Trump administration is attempting to reverse the progress of the last administration, in Washington state legislators are tackling the challenge head on.
The largest source of pollution in Washington state is transportation, which is another way to say burning petroleum-based fuels like gasoline and diesel. Tackling emissions from transportation requires policies that focus on vehicles and transportation fuels. Broad economy-wide measures like carbon pricing or cap and trade are important and should be pursued but will have limited direct impact on transportation in the near term. Fortunately, a clean fuel program, which targets transportation fuel directly, has proven quite effective. Legislators in Washington are considering enacting such a standard, which would be a major step forward in cutting oil use and emissions from transportation.
By, Union of Concerned Scientists
RNG: Most Efficient Approach to Decarbonizing Buildings
Critics of natural gas in markets scattered across the U.S. have begun to call for 100 percent electrification of buildings to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the sector. They also often claim that it will benefit low-income and minority communities. But the facts are to the contrary, and instead show that a rigid call for electrified buildings as the sole way to reduce emissions is misguided.
We should applaud the end goal of decarbonization. It’s possible for our building sector, and we are all worthy of reduced emissions and increasingly cleaner, healthier air. However, requiring across-the-board electrification of buildings limits consumer choice. It’s also incredibly costly for residents and small businesses, and therefore will not help low-income families as the diehards of electrification claim.
By, Marcus Gillette, Biomass Magazine
SoCalGas Announces Vision to Be Cleanest Natural Gas Utility in North America
Southern California Gas Co.(SoCalGas) today announced a bold plan to replace 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. Today's announcement is part of SoCalGas' vision to be the cleanest natural gas utility in North America, delivering affordable and increasingly renewable energy to its customers. To kickstart the plan, SoCalGas will pursue regulatory authority to implement a broad renewable natural gas procurement program with a goal of replacing five percent of its natural gas supply with RNG by 2022. SoCalGas also recently filed a request with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to allow customers to purchase renewable natural gas for their homes. SoCalGas aims to have CPUC approval of its voluntary program by the end of the year.
By, Market Watch
Peel Environment Plans in for £150m Renewable Energy Plant
Peel Environmental has signed a deal with Progressive Energy to deliver a £150m bio-substitute natural gas plant at the 134-acre Protos energy park near Ellesmere Port.
The plant will generate renewable gas from up to 175,000 tonnes of bio-resources, including unrecyclable wood and refuse derived fuel. This gas will be used in the transport sector, generating enough gas to power up to 1,000 low carbon HGVs and buses every year.
By, North West Place
NW Natural Planning More RNG Purchases as Decarbonization Continues
NW Natural is analyzing more low-carbon options, such as renewable natural gas (RNG) and power-to gas in efforts to decarbonize its natural gas-only utility business while expanding into the water utility sector as a hedge against increasing pressure to cut fossil fuel use.
CEO David Anderson during a recent quarterly conference call said the Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) accepted the most recent integrated resource plan (IRP) at the end of February. The IRP, which focuses on cutting the carbon footprint of the utility, represents "an important step in our long-term planning process..."
By, Richard Nemec, NGI
Agility Receives CARB Approval for Near-Zero Emissions Fuel System with Heavy-Duty On-Board Diagnostics
Agility Fuel Solutions, a leading global provider of clean fuel solutions for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, announced today that it has received California Air Resources Board (CARB) certifications for a natural gas fuel system for installation on Ford 6.8L V-10 gasoline engines with gaseous engine prep package.
The Ford 6.8L engine with Agility’s natural gas fuel system is certified to meet the CARB Optional Low NOx Emissions Standards with NOx emissions at or below 0.02 grams per brake horsepower-hour (g/bhp-hr).
In addition, Agility received CARB Heavy-Duty On-Board Diagnostics (HD-OBD) and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards certification with full compliance.
By, EIN Presswire
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Loan to Support Two Biogas Plants in Belarus
A loan of $11.3m will be provided to two special purpose companies established by the Lithuanian company Modus Group.
With a total installed capacity of 3MW, the two biogas power plants will be able to generate 23.6GWh of clean energy annually. The project will also support foreign investment in Belarus’ power sector and reduce CO2 emissions by 9,100 tonnes per year. The Japanese government has also agreed to provide technical assistance for the project.
By, Power Technology
SDG&E and SoCalGas Seek to Offer Renewable Natural Gas to Customers
Would you be willing to pay a few dollars more each month on your utility bill for natural gas that came from dairies, landfills and treatment facilities instead of conventional fossil fuel extraction methods?
Southern California Gas and San Diego Gas & Electric hope so. The two energy companies filed an application with the California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday to establish a voluntary program that would enable residential and commercial customers to buy designated amounts of renewable natural gas each month.
By, Rob Nikolewski, LA Times
US DOE Funds 51.5 Million for Alternative Medium and Heavy-duty Vehicles and Fuels
Today, the US Department of Energy took a bold step forward in wastes to biopower and gaseous fuels for medium and heavy-duty vehicles. It’s part of a major $51 million funding package for advanced vehicle technologies that also includes work on energy-efficient engines and fast-fueling for hydrogen fuels.
In the topic most relevant to the advanced bioeconomy today, the Energy Department is focusing on “Gaseous Fuels Research and Technology Integration for Medium- and Heavy-duty Vehicles”. Specifically, high density gas storage and transport, advanced waste to energy technologies, and technology integration that focus on lowering the cost of and overcoming technical barriers to the use of medium- and heavy-duty natural gas and hydrogen fueled vehicles.
By, Jim Lane, Biofuels Digest