RNG NEWS
Stay up to date with the latest stories, insights, and announcements.The Role of Renewable Natural Gas in the Decarbonization of our Economy
Decarbonization — a phased reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by eliminating or significantly reducing the use of fossil fuels — is a key piece in the climate-change mitigation puzzle. The combination of decarbonization and electrification can result in an enormous reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, not to mention energy savings. Electricity generation using renewable natural gas (RNG) increases the decarbonization benefit even further.
I recently met with Johannes Escudero — CEO and Executive Director of the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition) — to discuss the environmental challenges we face and the solutions we can employ, including renewable energy sources. The RNG Coalition is the trade association representing and providing public policy advocacy and education for the North American RNG industry.
Colorado Lawmakers Look to Ramp up Renewable Natural Gas Industry Across State
December 7, 2020 - State Sen. Kerry Donovan of Vail knows a thing or two about animal poop and human waste since they’re both big components of the family businesses — a working ranch near Edwards that she runs and the Vail Honeywagon trash collection service. She also knows you can pull renewable natural gas (RNG) — and therefore clean power — from both forms of waste.
She voted for a bill last legislative session that would have mandated large utilities get a certain percentage of their energy from RNG. It was called the Adopt Renewable Natural Gas Standard (SB20-150), and it passed the Senate 24-10 with one senator excused before being derailed in the House when the session ended abruptly due to COVID-19.
By Real Vail
Feasibility Study to Explore RNG Opportunities in Albany, Australia
December 3, 2020 - Energy infrastructure firm ATCO and the Great Southern Development Commission (GSDC) have agreed to undertake a feasibility study into renewable natural gas (RNG) opportunities in Albany.
The First City 100% Renewable Gas Project will assess the viability of injecting RNG into the Albany gas network, providing a low emission energy source for the people of Albany.
By Bioenergy Insight
Scottish Renewable Energy Park plans include Biomass, AD Facilities
December 4, 2020 - Plans have been unveiled to build a large-scale renewable energy park in northeast Scotland, incorporating biomass and anaerobic digestion (AD) facilities.
The energy park, to be developed by Edinburgh-based Holistic Energy, is designed to deliver 150-200 MW of green energy to supply the Scottish grid, with the capacity to power tens of thousands of homes.
It is estimated that 1,500 jobs will be created to build the park, while a further 250 permanent jobs will be created by the operation. Holistic Energy hopes to commence building in 2023 and be operational by 2026.
By Bioenergy Insight
Waste-To-Energy Initiatives Expand
December 1, 2020 - Ask any waste and recycling industry professional what route should be taken to reduce the carbon footprint of the waste industry, and the majority will respond with, “reduce, reuse and recycle.”
Indeed, recycling ensures that our waste is used to its fullest potential. As David Unger, senior vice president, of Fortistar, explained, recyclable materials should not go into landfills, as their greatest economic value is in reprocessing for further use. But as landfills continue to be utilized to the fullest extent, more and more attention is being paid to enhancing biogas programs in various ways.
By American Recycler
Alternative Energies Are the Future of Commercial Transportation
December 1, 2020 - The transportation industry is responsible for 28 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Of those emissions, medium and heavy-duty trucks are responsible for 23 percent. This is a major reason the trucking industry is under enormous pressure from government regulators to switch to low-carbon technologies. Much of the progress on this so far has come from electric vehicles. Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) semi-truck is soon to hit the road, and its competitor Nikola Corporation (NASDAQ: NKLA) is not far behind. Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) has invested heavily in electric truck startup Rivian, and UPS is looking to Workhorse Group Inc (NASDAQ: WKHS) to transport its deliveries. While giants like UPS and Amazon are throwing their weight behind low-carbon solutions, biofuel vehicles running on Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) could offer the ideal and viable route for commercial users. That's where companies like Greenlane Renewables Inc. (TSX-V: GRN) are focused on building out renewable infrastructure.
By FinancialBuzz
LA Sanitation Districts to Convert Food Waste into RNG for Transport
December 2, 2020 - Dinner scraps, spoiled fruit, and vegetables from supermarkets and restaurants are being processed into renewable vehicle fuel by the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts.
The Sanitation Districts have been converting food waste into electricity for over six years, but have now launched a biogas purification system to recycle the waste into renewable vehicle fuel.
“With this new biogas purification system, we now also produce renewable natural gas (RNG) that is used to fuel vehicles like cars, buses, and trucks,” said Robert C Ferrante, chief engineer and general manager for the Sanitation Districts.
By Bioenergy Insight
Is RNG a California-Only Fuel?
December 2, 2020 - There is a growing interest in renewable natural gas by fleets across a range of sectors due to its ability to seamlessly replace conventional natural gas. Sourced from organic waste streams like green waste and livestock manure, RNG is made up of captured methane that would otherwise escape into the environment. This makes a fuel that is locally sourced, plentiful and low carbon.
Due to financial incentives available through state-level, low carbon fuel programs, as well as the national Renewable Fuel Standard program, RNG can be used as a transportation fuel with a total cost of ownership on par with, or cheaper than, diesel. These market-based programs incentivize the production and consumption of low-carbon renewable fuels by rewarding their low-carbon attributes with real monetary value. In these programs, the lower the carbon content of the fuel, the more value the fuel produces in the form of “credits” in low carbon fuel programs or “RINs” in the Renewable Fuel Standard program. This enables fuel suppliers like Trillium to pass on value in the form of cost savings for fleets fueling with RNG.
By ACT News
California Regulators to Vote on State's First Renewable Natural Gas Tariff Pilot for Sempra Utilities
December 2, 2020 - California regulators are set to vote on a proposed three-year renewable natural gas (RNG) tariff pilot program for Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), which, if approved, would be the first such tariff in the state.
The pilot would allow the utilities to offer their customers a voluntary tariff through which they could purchase renewable natural gas (RNG) — or biomethane, emitted from agricultural and waste products — as part of their gas service. It would aim to accelerate the use of low-carbon RNG and develop supplies of the gas in California and across the country.
By Kavya Balaraman
Quebec’s Green Economy Plan Addresses RNG, Bioenergy
November 19, 2020 - The government of Quebec on Nov. 16 unveiled its 2030 Plan for a Green Economy. The plan focuses primarily on clean electricity, but also addresses the use of renewable natural gas (RNG) and bioenergy for heating.
The 2030 PGE lays the groundwork for a green economic recovery and reiterates Quebec’s commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 37.5 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. An initial implementation plan is being introduced for 2021-2026 which, in addition to reducing GHG emissions, aims to stimulate economic recovery and job creation. The plan in part, aims to require a 10 percent share of RNG in the natural gas network by 2030 and a 50 percent increase in bioenergy production by 2030.
By Erin Voegele, BIOMASS
Don’t miss an update—join our weekly newsletter below.