RNG NEWS
Stay up to date with the latest stories, insights, and announcements.Avista Works to Extend Voluntary RNG Offering to Idaho, Oregon
Avista requested the approval of Idaho and Oregon regulators for a voluntary renewable natural gas tariff in those states, modeled after one implemented in November in Washington.
The Washington program was mandated by a 2019 law passed as House Bill 1257, which required that RNG be "available to all customers to replace any portion of the natural gas that would otherwise be provided by the gas company."
The Promise and Opportunity of Renewable Natural Gas Vehicles in 2022
2021 was a big year for renewable natural gas (RNG). Also known as biogas, RNG is natural gas produced from methane emissions from landfills, farms, wastewater plants, and food waste. And there’s reason to believe 2022 will be an even bigger year.
Two developments are especially noteworthy. First, in April 2021, Natural Gas Vehicles for America (NGVAmerica) and the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition) announced that data on US natural gas-fueled vehicles (NGVs) from 2020 revealed that RNG made up 53% of all on-road natural gas vehicle fuel. This was the first time RNG had achieved a majority use in NGVs.
Gasoline So Clean It’s Like Swapping to 11 Million EVs!
In September 2021 we covered a new "green gasoline" concept from Nacero, that involves constructing gasoline hydrocarbons by assembling smaller methane molecules from natural gas. Then in February 2022 the company inked a 20-year deal with NextEra to supply wind power to Nacero's Penwell factory in a bid to halve the lifecycle carbon footprint of its gasoline with the potential to take that number to zero.
In so doing, the company claimed that the four million drivers burning Nacero gasoline will deliver the equivalent carbon savings of swapping 11 million ICE vehicles for EVs(!). We politely asked to see their math.
Three Ways Midstream Operators Can Fuel the Energy Transition
The midstream oil and gas industry will play a central role in the energy transition. Operators have a unique opportunity to enable the shift to low-carbon energy by connecting new and emerging value chains. To do so profitably and sustainably, midstream players will need to adjust their mindset and leverage their infrastructure in new ways.
1. Enabling the use of renewable fuels. There’s still much to be learned about the project economics of transitioning to renewable fuels. However, midstream operators are actively testing these new business models and progress is being made. Williams, Enterprise, and ONEOK are already blending RNG – biogas sourced from dairy waste and water treatment facilities – into their natural gas streams, for example.
Nature Energy, a Global Leader in Green Energy, Unveils Biogas Plant Project in Farnham, Quebec
Nature Energy, a global leader in renewable energy, announced that it has acquired land in Farnham, Quebec, to build its first-ever biogas plant in North America. This is an important step for the Danish company to establish a large-scale facility to convert biomass from local agricultural production, industry and institutions into renewable natural gas (RNG) for the Quebec grid.
"It's fantastic that our ambitions to contribute to the ecological transition with farmers, businesses and the community beyond Denmark's borders are being realized here in Quebec. Our Danish facilities have allowed us to acquire unique expertise in the field of ecological transition. With this acquisition in Quebec, we are now taking our expertise abroad, which will contribute to the green transition worldwide," said Ole Hvelplund, President and CEO of Nature Energy.
Arizona: Turning Wastewater Emissions into RNG and Local Art
Pima County, Arizona, has consumed raw biogas to fuel the engines used at the Tres Rios sewer plant for many years. A study from 2014 concluded it would be more economical to refine the Tres Rios' raw biogas into sellable RNG, and construction of the plant was subsequently approved. The county signed an agreement with a biogas joint venture to build the RNG treatment facility and market the gas. Eventually, the joint venture stalled, but Pima County decided to move forward constructing the plant on its own and partnering with Southwest Gas.
In an effort to help the local community achieve energy sustainability with reduced emissions, Southwest Gas acts as a catalyst to bring sources of RNG to consumers. Southwest Gas' plans for a sustainable energy future and Pima County's decision to market the highest-quality gas led to finding a company specializing in evaluating gas quality to enable the merchantability of the Tres Rios product. Mustang Sampling was chosen to provide a turnkey, Analytically Accurate solution to guarantee a verifiable supply of sustainable, clean and safe RNG.
Catch a Carbon-Negative Ride: RNG Crucial to Fulfilling Zero-Emission Transit Commitments
The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated transit agencies’ ridership and revenue, and many agencies have minimal budgets left to transition away from fossil fuels. Renewable natural gas (RNG) can play a crucial role in creating a cost-effective path to zero-emissions that accounts for Canada’s diverse geography and regional needs.
The drive to eliminate emissions is usually focused on the new technologies of battery electric buses (BEBs) and hydrogen fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs). Both of which are available today. Both of which are complex. Both of which are a necessary part of our climate secure future. Both of which require an entire system overhaul.
Dominion Energy Utah Launches New Program to Reduce Customers' Carbon Footprint
Dominion Energy customers in Utah and Idaho can now sign up for CarbonRight, a new and affordable way to significantly reduce their carbon footprint. The program will allow customers to offset carbon emissions from natural gas use in their home or business by supporting projects, including in Utah, that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The program is voluntary and available to all residential customers, as well as businesses, government buildings and schools. To participate, customers may purchase carbon offsets in $5 blocks on their monthly bill. A typical residential customer can offset their entire carbon footprint, achieving "net zero" carbon emissions from their natural gas usage, by purchasing one $5 block a month, or $60 a year. Dominion Energy does not mark up the cost of the carbon offsets, and does not earn a profit from the program.
TPG Rise Climate Accelerates Renewable Energy Development with Investment in Monarch Bioenergy Joint Venture
TPG Rise Climate, the climate investing strategy of TPG’s global impact investing platform TPG Rise, today announced an investment in Monarch Bioenergy, a joint venture between Roeslein Alternative Energy (RAE) and a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, Inc. Launched in 2018, Monarch leverages RAE’s state-of-the-art technology and Smithfield’s innovative sustainable farming practices to capture methane emissions and convert them into carbon-negative renewable natural gas (RNG) to power homes, vehicles and businesses. Chris Roach, President of RAE, will serve as Monarch’s Chief Executive Officer, a newly created role.
Accelerating the transition to renewable energy, greening the industrial sector, and scaling greenhouse gas abating technologies are core pillars in TPG Rise Climate’s multi-sector investing strategy. As an equal partner in the JV, TPG Rise Climate will work with RAE and Smithfield to advance agricultural innovation, enhance existing projects in Missouri, and develop new ones in select states across the U.S.
It’s Time America Stopped Throwing Out Food Waste
Between 1960 and 2020, the amount of food waste ending up in municipal landfills nearly tripled. Buried under dirt and other trash, discarded food generates methane as it decomposes, as do other organic materials such as yard waste and paper. Landfills are the third-largest source of methane emissions resulting from human activity.
Methane doesn’t last as long in the atmosphere as CO2, but its power to cause warming is much greater. “Methane has about 90 times as much warming potential as an equivalent amount of CO2 released in the atmosphere,” says Riley Duren, a research scientist at the University of Arizona.
Don’t miss an update—join our weekly newsletter below.