RNG NEWS
Clean Energy’s RNG Production Facility Breaks Ground at South Fork Dairy in Texas
Clean Energy Fuels announced it has broken ground on a renewable natural gas production facility at South Fork Dairy in Dimmitt, Texas. Home to a 16,000-cow herd, the facility will produce RNG, an ultra-clean transportation fuel that is made from organic waste and receives a negative carbon-intensity score.
The construction of the digesters and processing plant is forecasted to cost approximately $85 million and is expected to be completed in 2025. The South Fork Dairy facility is set to be one of the biggest RNG production developments in the country with an anticipated 2.6 million gallons of RNG to be produced annually once completed. All the RNG fuel produced at the site will make its way into Clean Energy’s nationwide network of stations.
Listen: Mingling Molecules: RNG Wins Market Share in Heavy-Duty Trucking
Renewable natural gas (RNG) has been one of the fastest low-carbon fuels to reach commerciality in the United States because of its ability to leverage traditional gas infrastructure. RNG has also benefited from recent innovation in compressed natural gas (CNG) engines used in heavy duty trucking.
S&P Global experts Tom DiChristopher and Greg Genette join EnergyCents hosts Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys to discuss RNG’s success as a drop-in fuel and how technological innovation and supportive policy are helping to decarbonize commercial transportation.
Clean Energy: Accelerating A Cleaner Future
Clean Energy Fuels Corp. has played a substantial role in pioneering the use of renewable natural gas (RNG) as a transportation fuel in the United States. To keep growing and moving forward, the company forges strong partnerships and maintains a flexible outlook.
As a distributor of RNG, Clean Energy helps fleets reach their sustainability goals and decarbonize their operations, working closely with engine manufacturers to help fleet customers—including UPS and Amazon—make the switch to RNG trucks, explains Clay Corbus, head of renewable fuels and senior vice president of strategic development with Clean Energy Fuels. “Our whole business has really been working with heavy-duty fleets that burn a lot of fuel and transitioning them from using diesel to using renewable natural gas,” he says.
RNG Coalition: Bridging Knowledge Gaps In Renewable Natural Gas
Changing someone’s mind is a difficult thing to do. Most people know what they know, and their long-held opinions are entrenched by life experiences, education, and popular culture. Add in the impact of social media, which serves as an echo chamber for our pre-existing beliefs, and it’s perhaps never been harder to convince people that what they know just isn’t so.
It is for this reason that direct engagement with the “other side” of a debate has never been more important. RNG Coalition’s communications staff recently sponsored and attended the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ) annual conference in Philadelphia. The annual SEJ conference brings together climate journalists and environmental justice advocates from across the country — providing us with a chance to closely engage with folks who have diverse ideas about how best to decarbonize our society.
Sustainable Manure Management for Small Dairy Farms: The Challenges and a Farm Powered Solution
Manure management is a critical aspect of sustainable agriculture, particularly for smaller dairy farms where resources and space are limited. Methane, a greenhouse gas that is a leading cause of climate change, is released when manure is stored in open lagoons and land applied on the farm’s fields. According to the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), “Livestock - primarily beef and dairy cows – account for the vast majority of agriculture methane emissions,” which is why organizations like the EDF are working to help farmers mitigate as much methane as possible.
Methane is not the only consideration when looking at how to sustainably manage the large amounts of manure produced on farms every day. Manure can also have other adverse environmental impacts, including nutrient runoff and groundwater contamination if not handled correctly. The pollutants naturally occurring in manure, such as bacteria, nitrogen, ammonia, and phosphates can contribute to water pollution, air quality degradation, and climate change and may even pose a public health risk to the communities in which the farms operate.
Chesapeake Utilities Gets Approval for Three Renewable Natural Gas Projects
Chesapeake Utilities has announced that it has secured approval for three natural gas projects from the US Florida Public Service Commission.
These initiatives, led by subsidiary Peninsula Pipeline Company (PPC), are set to enhance the natural gas distribution system operated by Florida City Gas (FCG), also part of Chesapeake Utilities.
Waga Energy: Launch of a New Biomethane Unit in Quebec
Zone-Eco, a provider of waste burial, composting, and waste recovery services in the Brome-Missisquoi County, and Waga Energy have launched a biomethane production unit at the Cowansville landfillin Quebec, Canada.
This WAGABOX unit will produce up to 30 GWh of biomethane per year, supplying renewable gas to 1,750 Canadian households and avoiding the emissions of over 5,500 tons of CO2 equivalent annually into the atmosphere (estimated by Energir).
Gevo’s RNG Business Achieves Record Production
Gevo Inc. announced that its renewable natural gas (RNG) business recently achieved record production levels.
“I am pleased that we achieved an annualized production rate of approximately 402,000 MMBtu in May, exceeding our previous record of approximately 401,000 MMBtu in March,” said Staci Bogue-Buchholz, Vice President and General Manager of Gevo’s RNG facilities. “These results show we have hit our stride from a production perspective, and I think we have room for further improvement too. The system is running well.”
RNG A Biomass Bright Spot
Last week, Bioenergy Europe released its annual Statistical Report on Pellets, which analyzes the development of the world pellet market, with a main focus on Europe. One of the core findings was that the production and consumption of pellets has “stagnated worldwide, breaking a two-decade-long trend of uninterrupted growth.”
This is attributed to numerous factors, including higher input prices—for example, electricity costs for producers, which inflates the cost of pellets—falling industrial demand, and a record warm winter with “shockingly fewer” heating degree days than average.
Beyond The Golden State: Expanding California’s RNG Progress Across North America
As North America strides toward greater energy independence and sustainability, California’s success with renewable natural gas (RNG) presents a clear and successful roadmap for other jurisdictions to emulate. Driven by climate-smart policies such as California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard and supported by federal programs like the Renewable Fuel Standard, RNG’s recent growth illustrates that great things happen when policymakers support technologies that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions today.
Our journey at RNG Coalition began over a decade ago, inspired by the early legislative efforts in California. In 2012, California enacted AB 1900, a landmark bill promulgated by RNG Coalition that allowed integration of RNG into state natural gas pipelines. This was a transformational moment for RNG in California, setting the stage for integration into the state’s renewable portfolio standard and LCFS transportation programs.