RNG NEWS
Stay up to date with the latest stories, insights, and announcements.Houston Company Launches Ambitious Partnership to Reclaim Natural Gas from Landfills
The Houston company Archaea Energy is teaming with Republic Services, one of the nation’s biggest waste management firms, to reclaim methane produced by landfills and refine it to fuel power plants, homes and vehicles. In addition to matching the quality of natural gas produced from wells, landfill methane, known as renewable natural gas, or RNG, has the advantage of emitting lower levels of greenhouse gases and meeting federal and state standards as a low-carbon fuel.
The companies plan to develop 39 RNG projects across 19 state, representing the nation’s single largest development of renewable natural gas. Five projects are slated for Texas: one in the Houston area, one in Beaumont, two in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and one in Amarillo.
Anaergia CEO Andrew Benedek and the Renewable Energy Revolution
Andrew Benedek, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Anaergia, was interviewed by The Suburban‘s Editor-In-Chief Beryl Wajsman for his Beyond the Pages online news show.
Anaergia, which was taken public last year and is on the Toronto Stock Exchange, offers "sustainable solutions for the generation of renewable energy and the conversion of waste to resources." The company has a revolutionary technology that converts waste into natural gas, a totally renewable energy source, and is a world leader in this regard.
Puget Sound Energy Launches Renewable Natural Gas Program with Landfill Gas Production
Puget Sound Energy (PSE) has announced the launch of a voluntary Renewable Natural Gas program, a key part of its proposed pathway to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2045. Through RNG, renters, homeowners and businesses can replace a portion of their conventional natural gas usage with carbon neutral renewable natural gas.
PSE’s RNG program will offer utility customers this option. Already, more than 1,200 PSE customers have enrolled in RNG since its launch in December of 2021. Supply for RNG comes exclusively from a long-term contract with Klickitat Public Utility District. Methane from a Washington landfill is captured, processed into renewable natural gas, and added directly into PSE’s natural gas system.
CenterPoint, Xcel Move Forward with 'Green' Hydrogen Pilot Projects
CenterPoint Energy has launched its inaugural foray into producing "green" hydrogen, a natural-gas substitute free of carbon emissions. The company's hydrogen plant in Minneapolis, which uses renewable energy, is small — a foot in the water for CenterPoint. But it's a harbinger of a much-ballyhooed technology that could help battle climate change if it can overcome its challenges. The plant cost $2 million, an expense likely to be covered by ratepayers.
Xcel Energy also is moving ahead with a pilot hydrogen plant at its Prairie Island nuclear power plant. The company signed a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy, which is paying $12 million for the project.
Republic Services, Archaea Joint Venture Is a Leap Forward For Renewable Natural Gas
Republic Services, one of the largest waste-disposal companies in the U.S., on May 5 announced a major deal that will expand its renewable natural gas business. Partnering with Houston-based RNG producer Archaea Energy, Republic will mount a $1.1 billion joint venture to develop projects at 39 of its landfills in 19 different states. Once up and running, the 39 projects are expected to generate more than 12.5 million MMBtu of RNG each year.
Republic Services CEO Jon Vander Ark said the joint venture’s portfolio will include capturing RNG from smaller landfills that would have normally been disposed of by flaring instead. “By bidding out the 39 landfills, there are projects in there that are relatively small that we probably wouldn’t do independently. To take that resource and rather than try to dispose of it through flaring, being able to reuse it is a big part of our sustainability story. It’s a big part of our plan to get to net-zero emissions.”
Greenlane Renewables Announces First Deployment of Development Capital for Renewable Natural Gas Project
Greenlane Renewables Inc., through its subsidiary, Greenlane Renewables Capital Inc., announced its first deployment of development capital to a company focused on developing renewable natural gas projects in California, based on the dairy cluster model.
Greenlane is deploying pre-construction development capital in the form of a convertible note loan agreement with funds to be advanced on a milestone achievement basis up to US$0.9 million. The funds will be used to progress the development company's dairy cluster project to construction financing, expected in Q4 2022, as well as to advance their pipeline of project development opportunities.
FortisBC Teams with Regional District of Fraser-Fort George to Produce Carbon Neutral Natural Gas
FortisBC Energy Inc. will produce Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) from its first project in Northern British Columbia, teaming up with the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George to produce RNG from landfill gas generated at the Foothills Boulevard Regional Landfill, located in Prince George.
FortisBC expects to produce approximately 90,000 gigajoules of RNG a year from this project over its 20-year contract, starting 2024. This is enough energy to meet the annual natural gas needs of approximately 1,000 homes in BC.
Commentary: California Dairy Farmers are Working to Address Climate Issues
Each year we use the month of June to recognize our dairy farm families. On the heels of Earth Day, we are leaning into the topic of dairy sustainability for this year's Dairy Month celebration to showcase California dairy's commitment to slowing climate impacts.
According to a 2020 study published in the Journal of Dairy Science, greenhouse gas emissions per gallon of milk produced in California have decreased by more than 45% over the past 50 years. The use of anaerobic digesters, which turn manure methane into renewable electricity, renewable natural gas or hydrogen fuel, are driving much of this progress.
Greenlane Renewables Secures Repeat Order Valued at CAD$8.7 Million for International Energy Company RNG Project in the United States
Greenlane Renewables Inc. announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Greenlane Biogas North America Ltd., has been awarded a contract for CAD$8.7 million (US$6.8 million) for a dairy manure to renewable natural gas project in the United States owned by an international energy company.
This contract win marks the third project within 18 months for this customer that Greenlane has successfully bid. The project owner and location have not been disclosed at this time. Greenlane will supply its membrane separation biogas upgrading system, with order fulfillment expected to commence immediately.
FortisBC Brings High-Efficient Gas Heat Pumps into B.C. Homes for the First Time
FortisBC Energy Inc. is installing the next generation of high-efficiency home and water heating equipment in 20 residential homes – the first units of their kind to be installed in British Columbia as part of a FortisBC pilot program. With the potential to cut the energy needed for space and water heating by up to 50 per cent, lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, operate in colder winter conditions and exceed 100 per cent efficiency, this technology has the potential to help customers reduce their monthly bill and it is expected to contribute to achieving the province's climate action goals.
By also having the option to sign up to receive Renewable Natural Gas, customers can reduce their household emissions even further with a carbon neutral option to heat their homes. In addition, these units are hydrogen enabled meaning they can operate on gas-hydrogen blends without needing any modifications in the future.
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