NEWS RELEASE
July 29, 2019
Renewable Natural Gas Market Surpasses 100-Project Pinnacle in North America
Number of RNG Production Facilities Grows 145% in Past Five Years.
SACRAMENTO, CA – The Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition) announced today that the North American renewable natural gas (RNG) industry has reached the 100 facility benchmark this summer. With the addition of three recent operational facilities, the 101 RNG production sites across the continent equate to nearly 150% growth over the past five years from the 41 projects built between 1982 and 2014.
“Increased RNG development and deployment leads to greater adoption of the renewables we use to drive, and heat and power our homes and businesses,” said Johannes Escudero, RNG Coalition co-founder and CEO. “We join our members and all users of RNG in celebrating this milestone, which is a great achievement for sustainability and for decarbonizing our gas and power systems.”
The RNG Coalition was founded eight years ago when there were 31 operating RNG projects in North America. Having reached 50 RNG sites in 2015, the organization set the goal to double the number of RNG production facilities in North America within 10 years. The RNG industry has hit the target in half that time by eclipsing 100 sites this summer.
Three DTE Biomass Energy facilities in Wisconsin that convert cow waste from area dairies into renewable energy are among the new RNG production sites this year.
“We are very excited to be involved in dairy RNG, because we’re helping family-owned dairy farms to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions and offset use of vehicle fossil fuels,” said Kevin Dobson, VP of Business Development for DTE Biomass Energy. “Our RNG projects also benefit local economies, providing additional revenue streams for the host dairy farms and bringing local investment and jobs.”
Another RNG Coalition member, Ultra Capital, worked to launch a new production site in Ashland, Kentucky in April.
“The Big Run project diverts biogas that would otherwise have been flared and converts it into renewable natural gas that is sold to industrial customers, substituting for fossil natural gas and helping them achieve their carbon neutrality goals,” said Ultra Capital’s Managing Director, Kristian Hanelt. “Bringing Big Run online is an important milestone for our fund and our partners, and we see this as a growing asset class in sustainable infrastructure.”
According to the RNG Coalition’s database of renewable natural gas production sites, there are more than 50 additional facilities currently under construction or in development.
“100 RNG projects is a milestone worth celebrating, not just for the RNG industry, but as a symbol of hope for our planet,” added David Cox, RNG Coalition co-founder and Operations Director. “What’s even more exciting is that we are just getting started.”
About the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas
The RNG Coalition provides public policy advocacy and education for the Renewable Natural Gas (RNG, Biomethane) industry in North America, advocating for the increased development, deployment and utilization of RNG, including as an ultra-clean, domestically produced, alternative fuel and energy resource. The RNG industry captures methane (raw biogas) that would otherwise escape fugitively into the atmosphere or be flared (wasted) from organic waste streams such as landfills, wastewater treatment facilities, livestock and agricultural digesters, and commercial food waste facilities and converts that biogas into RNG. RNG is fully fungible with conventional natural gas, and is used as a direct substitute for most commercial, industrial and residential natural gas applications. Learn more at RNGCoalition.com.
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Media Contact:
Marcus Gillette
916-588-3033, ext. 3