2024-10-18 06:12:20
New stats by the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas suggest more than 433 renewable natural gas facilities are up and running in North America — a figure it expects will double.
The RNG Coalition, a trade association based in Sacramento, Calif., reports 433 renewable natural gas facilities are operational in the region, up 44% from 300 facilities last year.
Of the more than 400 facilties, 26 are in Canada.
In addition to facilities currently online, the coalition says there’s a “robust pipeline of forthcoming projects” with another 436 facilities in various stages of planning or construction.
“We are proud of what our organization and industry have accomplished together, but we are focused on the next benchmark, and on even broader energy sector adoption of RNG as a critical component in our society’s transition to a cleaner, more sustainable future,” said coalition founder and CEO Johannes Escudero in a press release.
While technological advancements and increasing demand for low-carbon energy solutions have factored into the recent surge, the RNG Coalition said expanding policy support remains a top industry priority as it aims for 500 facilities by 2025, 1,000 by 2030 and 5,000 by 2040.
It says New Mexico’s recently launched Clean Fuel Standard program, which aims to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels, was an example of encouraging policy growth.
The program follows similar programs implemented successfully in California, Oregon, and Washington, providing a framework for RNG projects to thrive by creating market incentives for low-carbon fuels that displace diesel and other fossil fuels.
Dairy farm-to-RNG projects represent another key driver of recent facility growth.
Agricultural waste now represents 24% of all feedstocks deployed toward RNG production, marking a new all-time high and an increase from 17% of all feedstocks just a year ago.
With ongoing collaboration between the public and private sectors, and between legislative and regulatory bodies, the coalition says it envisions an even more significant role for RNG and other renewable gases as the region works toward cleaner air and energy for current and future generations.
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