RNG Stakeholders Say Industry Is Primed to Fulfill Proposed 2019 Biofuel Volume  

Several stakeholders from the renewable natural gas (RNG) industry recently spoke at a public hearing to provide feedback on 2019 biofuel volumes proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program.

“The renewable natural gas industry is poised to meet the 2019 cellulosic biofuel volume of 381 million gallons proposed by the EPA,” said David Cox, co-founder and Director of Operations for the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition). “The proposed volume would be a signal of stability that should allow RNG industry producers and investors to continue developing and growing production of American cellulosic biofuel.”

The RNG industry produces more than 95 percent of the fuel that is used to meet the RFS program’s cellulosic biofuel requirement. The industry’s cellulosic biofuel production has increased from approximately 33 million gallons in 2014 to over 240 million gallons in 2017.

“We are taking gas that would be flared and wasted today and turning it into renewable fuel for transportation,” said Richard DiGia, President and CEO of Aria Energy based in Novi, MI.  “Investments of hundreds of millions of dollars of private capital in RNG projects have created thousands of temporary construction and permanent well-paying positions in operations.”

The RNG Coalition says the RNG industry has developed over 45 new facilities capable of producing cellulosic biofuel since 2011, and there are currently an additional 50 projects under construction or development.