RNG NEWS
Stay up to date with the latest stories, insights, and announcements.Why Fleet Managers at Anheuser-Busch, KeHE Distributors are Fueling up with Renewable Natural Gas
Companies of all sectors and sizes seek ways to reduce emissions across the board and increasingly are taking a far closer look at the kind of fuel powering their vehicles. While much attention has shifted to the potential for battery-electric or hydrogen vehicles, another technology with a vast infrastructure — renewable natural gas — is gaining traction among fleet managers.
"I’ve personally worked on energy issues for 10 years, and I’ve been extremely excited about the progress that’s been made in renewable natural gas," said Sam Wade, director of state regulatory affairs with the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas, during a recent GreenBiz webcast exploring this trend. The discussion focused on the growth of renewable natural gas for fleets of different sizes, the production of it and how it may continue to gain popularity.
By Zac Estrada, Green Biz
UK Opens Consultation on Green Gas Levy to Support Renewable Natural Gas
The U.K. government has opened a public consultation an initiative that aims to scale up the production of renewable natural gas (RNG), also referred to as bioemethane or green gas, for use in heating applications.
According to the U.K. Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, heating homes, businesses and industry is responsible for one-third of the U.K.’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Decarbonizing heat is one of the biggest challenges the country will face in meeting its net zero target by 2050.
By Erin Voegele, Biomass Magazine
Turning Waste Into Energy - Biodigestors, absent in Pittsburgh, gain popularity elsewher
John Stolz believes Pittsburgh is flushing a critical source of renewable energy down the toilet. Literally.
He proposes the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County join the growing ranks of urban areas upgrading their wastewater treatment plants to renewable power plants that use the process of biodigestion to create energy.
Stolz, who is the director of the Center for Environmental Research and Education at Duquesne University, submitted the idea to the 2019 Pittsburgh Tomorrow Contest, sponsored by Pittsburgh Quarterly and Pittsburgh Today. As a top finalist, he was invited to pitch his proposal to Mayor Bill Peduto and Allegheny County Chief Executive Rich Fitzgerald.
By Pittsburg Quarterly
UK Government Launches Consultation to Scale-up Biomethane Production
The UK Government is planning to scale-up green gas (biomethane) production to heat around 230,000 homes, with more biomethane plants built as a result.
Supported by the new Green Gas Levy, the UK Government is helping people across the UK to ‘go green’ on their energy supplies.
With the potential to prevent as much as 21.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) entering the atmosphere, the government’s Green Gas Levy will result in only minimal costs for consumers, starting at just 11p per month, yet will see climate gains equivalent to planting more than 71 million trees.
By BioEnergy Insight
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CalBio, Dairy Farmers and Chevron Announce First RNG
California Bioenergy LLC (CalBio), Chevron U.S.A. Inc. and local dairy farmers today announced their joint venture, CalBioGas LLC, successfully achieved first renewable natural gas (RNG) production from dairy farms in Kern County. The milestone underpins the partners’ commitment to provide affordable, reliable, and ever-cleaner energy to California consumers.
Manure storage on dairy farms results in the release of methane, a greenhouse gas. CalBio brings technology and operational experience to help build digesters and methane capture projects to convert this methane to a beneficial use as RNG. CalBio, dairy farmers and Chevron are providing funding for digester projects across three geographic clusters in Kern, Tulare and Kings counties. As they are completed, these projects will mitigate the dairies’ methane emissions and reduce greenhouse emissions from livestock.
By Market Watch
British Columbia Setting Ambitious — and Reachable — Goals for RNG
After taking a tiny first step into using renewable natural gas (RNG), British Columbia (BC) has a chance to reach an ambitious goal set by provincial government environmental policy, according to Canadian regulators.
Supplies of RNG have gradually grown in the United States and they are inching higher in Canada. Initially, BC had around 0.2% RNG, the Canada Energy Regulator (CER) said. The provincial CleanBC program has called for swift acceleration into a 75-fold jump to 15% over the next decade.
By Natural Gas Intelligence
Audi New CNG A3 Sportback Fueled with Renewable Natural Gas
Audi is adding a new member to its A3 family: the A3 Sportback 30 g-tron natural gas vehicle. Operation with natural gas or biomethane makes the compact model economical and more climate-friendly with low emissions. Sales in Germany and other European countries begin in fall 2020 at a base price of €30,705.88. Audi first introduced an A3 Sportback g-tron in 2014.
The A3 Sportback 30 g-tron 1.5 TFSI engine produces 96 kW (131 PS) and generates 200 N·m (147.5 lb-ft) of torque between 1,400 and 4,000 rpm. Its turbocharger with variable turbine geometry makes optimal use of the exhaust gas energy for early and harmonious torque development. The Miller combustion process provides consumption advantages during normal driving. With its abbreviated compression phase and long expansion phase, it was designed specifically for operation at partial load.
By Green Car Congress
Washington State Follows Roadmap to Decarbonization by 2045
Following its neighboring West Coast states in California and Oregon, Washington has charted its own three decade path to decarbonization, mandated by the 2019 passage of a state law, Senate Bill (SB) 5116, ordering the retirement of all coal-fired power by 2025.
Named the Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA), SB 5116 has resulted in four rulemakings so far by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC), which is charged with overseeing the state’s major energy utilities transforming to 100% carbon-neutral in 2030 and l00% carbon-free by 2045.
By Rich Nemec, NGI
In Springfield, Innovation Converts Dairy Waste into Drinkable Water
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi joined representatives from AQUA Innovations and GL Dairy Biogas LLC, along with three local dairy producers to cut the ribbon Tuesday on cutting-edge technology that turns cow manure from area farms into drinkable water. This community nutrient concentration system (NCS) is believed to be the first in the United States and is part of Dane County’s ongoing effort to clean up area lakes and expand its renewable natural gas network among local farms.
The $1.6 million project, which has been years in the making, is located in the Town of Springfield, and is receiving digested manure from GL Dairy Biogas LLC. The nutrient concentration system cleans manure through a series of ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis filters before discharging the remaining clean water into Pheasant Branch Creek. Nutrients, including phosphorus, are removed from the manure, concentrated, and stored for later use as a fertilizer for growing crops.
By Waunakee Tribune
Report “The State of Sustainable Fleets 2020”: Optimistic Prognosis for RNG Due to its Climate Benefits
The State of Sustainable Fleets 2020, released on August 11 by Gladstein, Neandross & Associates (GNA), is the first technology-neutral, comprehensive industry report that examines the current state of the most prevalent sustainable vehicle platforms for medium- and heavy-duty on-road transportation fleets across the U.S., and identifies the trends shaping the future of the industry.
Through interviews and surveys, the authors from GNA gathered data from fleets with real-world experience deploying sustainable vehicle technologies, supplemented by data from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and infrastructure providers. Notes GNA: “This data is synthesized with leading sources of third-party research to provide insights into the current and future adoption of four sustainable vehicle technologies: Natural gas vehicles (NGVs); Propane (LPG) vehicles; Battery electric vehicles (BEVs); and Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).”
By BioCycle
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