RNG NEWS
Stay up to date with the latest stories, insights, and announcements.SoCalGas Partners with The Retirement Housing Foundation on Energy Efficiency Upgrades at Senior Housing Complex, The Concord
Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) announced the completion of energy efficiency upgrades in partnership with the Retirement Housing Foundation (RHF) at The Concord affordable senior living community in Pasadena, Calif. The project was made possible through SoCalGas' Whole Building Program.
The program provided $108,000 in incentive funding that was used to help replace an aged, undersized central hot water system that serves 150 units within the 14-story affordable senior living complex. All units also received water and energy saving measures such as low-flow showerheads and low-flow kitchen and bath aerators at no cost as part of the utility's Energy Savings Assistance (ESA) program. This upgrade will help the property accumulate $35,000 in savings over a five year span and save over 4,000 therms of energy annually, equivalent to powering 11 homes for one year.
'Climate Positive’ by 2050: PG&E’s New Climate Strategy Report Outlines Targets and Milestones on Path to Net Zero Emissions and Beyond
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) unveiled commitments to help reduce carbon emissions and reverse the impacts of climate change as part of its comprehensive Climate Strategy Report. The report outlines the company’s path to become “climate positive,” or going beyond net zero emissions and actively removing more greenhouse gases from the environment than it emits, by 2050.
PG&E plans to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, five years ahead of California’s current carbon neutrality target, and has detailed clear milestones it plans to meet by 2030 in reducing emissions, adopting renewable energy, investing in clean transportation infrastructure and transitioning its natural gas system.
Chevron, Cummins Team on Renewable Natural Gas Engine Demonstration with Walmart
Chevron U.S.A. Inc. announced definitive agreements to supply fuel linked to renewable natural gas for a Walmart Inc. demonstration of Cummins Inc.’s new 15-liter natural gas engine for heavy-duty trucks.
As part of the agreements, Walmart will provide heavy-duty trucks for Cummins to integrate with the new 15-liter natural gas engine, the X15N, which runs on compressed natural gas (CNG). After taking delivery, Walmart will field-test the finished trucks at its distribution center in Fontana, California, with Chevron supplying the trucks with CNG linked to renewable natural gas.
Piedmont Natural Gas Introduces Carbon-Reducing Program for North Carolina Customers
Residential and commercial Piedmont Natural Gas customers in North Carolina now can reduce the impact of their own natural gas usage by participating in GreenEdge – a voluntary program allowing customers to purchase green "blocks" from Piedmont and then claim the associated environmental benefits.
Each $3 block represents the environmental attributes of renewable natural gas and carbon offsets and is equivalent to 12.5 therms of natural gas usage. Just one block is equal to 25% of the average household's monthly natural gas usage, meaning customers who purchase four blocks could claim associated environmental benefits for approximately 100% of their monthly household natural gas usage.
Black Hills Corp. Natural Gas Utility Proposes Voluntary RNG and Carbon Offset Program for Customers in Colorado
Black Hills Corp. announced its Colorado natural gas utility subsidiary, doing business as Black Hills Energy, submitted a proposal to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission seeking approval to offer a voluntary renewable natural gas and carbon offset program for residential and business customers. The program would allow participants to offset 100% or more of the emissions associated with their own natural gas usage.
As proposed, participants in the voluntary program would be able to purchase fixed price “blocks” at $5 per block, representing a portion of their natural gas usage. One block would be the equivalent of 20.5 therms of natural gas, which amounts to approximately 25% of the average Colorado residential customer’s monthly usage.
Gevo Enters Into Partner Agreement With Google Cloud to Measure and Verify the Efficacy of Next-Generation Biofuels
Gevo Inc said it has entered into a partner agreement with Google Cloud to measure and verify the efficacy of next-generation biofuels across the supply chain via full lifecycle sustainability data tracking.
Utilizing technology developed by Verity Tracking (Verity), a division of Gevo, the collaboration is expected to enable users to track and verify emissions using datasets and analytics tools from Google Cloud. The goal will be to help companies create a more data-driven approach to understanding and lowering greenhouse gas intensity globally.
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.
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