RENEWABLENATURALGAS(RNG):AFUELFORASUSTAINABLEFUTURE

RenewableNaturalGas(RNG),orbiomethane,isanimportant,yetlargelyunderutilized,low-carbon

fuelmadefromthemethanereleasedbydecomposingorganicwastestreams.Thetechnologyiscommercial;thefuelisinterchangeablewithfossilnaturalgas;andtheclimate,environmentalandeconomicbenefitsareimmense.

WhatisRNGandwheredoesthefuelcomefrom?Biogas,theprecursortoRNG,isgeneratedanywhereorganicmaterials—foodwaste,animalmanure,yarddebris,cropcuttings,sewage—decomposewithoutoxygen,aprocesscalledanaerobicdigestion(anaerobic=“nooxygen”).Anaerobicdigestionnaturallyhappensinlandfills,andcanbereplicatedinpurpose-builtanaerobicdigesters,whichcanbeassimpleascoveredmanurepitsonfarmsorascomplexasmulti-stageprocessingfacilitieswithstoragetanksandhigh-techcontrolrooms.Biogascontainsmethane(~55%),carbondioxide(CO2,~44%)traceamountsofothermaterialsandmoisture.Whenbiogashasbeencleanedandupgradedtopipelinequality—meaningtheCO2,otherimpuritiesandmoisturehavebeenremoved—youhaveRNG.Chemically,RNGisalmostidenticaltogeologicnaturalgas,butitisnotafossilfuelandrequiresnodrillingorotherharmfulextractiveoperations.HowcanRNGbeused?RNGisessentiallychemicallyinterchangeablewithfossilnaturalgasItcanbeusedtogenerateelectricity,injectedintopipelinesforheatingandcooling,orusedasfuelforvehicleswithnaturalgasengines.EnergyVision’sresearchindicatesthatitsmosteffectiveuseisasareplacementfordieselfuelinheavydutyvehiclesgiventhatsector’shugepetroleum-basedfueluseandnegativeclimate/healthimpacts.Howmuchofitisthere?EachyearintheUSover60milliontonsoffoodwaste1and35milliontonsofyardwastearegenerated,2roughly12.4trilliongallonsofwastewaterareprocessed,3andlivestockproduceover1billiontonsofmanure.4Allofthesesourcesemitbiogas—andRNG—“feedstocks”.AccordingtoaFederalstudy,2,100biogassystemscurrentlyoperateatlandfills,farmsandwastewatertreatmentplants,withthepotentialfornearly14,000more.Conservatively,thecombinedtotalannualoutputofRNGwouldbeenoughtofueleveryurbanbusandtruckfleetintheUS.5WhyRNGinsteadoffossilnaturalgas?RNGismadefrommethanethatisalready“aboveground.”.Unlikefossilnaturalgasextractedfromtheearth,producingRNGinvolvescapturingthebiogasesemittedbydecomposingorganicsbeforeitescapesintotheatmosphere,worseningclimatechange.Thisiswhyonalifecyclebasis(includingproducttransportanduseofafuel),RNGcanbenet-carbon-neutralorevennet-carbonnegativefuel.RNGhasbeenhailedbytheUnitedNationsasarenewablefuelwithsignificantgreenhousegasmitigationpotential.6ThesequalitieshavebeenrecognizedinCalifornia,wherethestateisprovidingsignificantsubsidiesfordevelopmentofRNGfromdairymanure;inIndia,whichin2018announcedplanstobuild5,000biomethaneplantsby2023;andinEurope,wherebiomethaneuseisgrowingincountrieslikeDenmark,France,Germany,ItalyandtheUK.

Whyuseitfortransportation?In2018,transportationaccountedfor28%ofallUSenergyconsumption,7and29%oftotalUSgreenhousegas(GHG)emissions8—thelargestsinglesourceGHGs.Otherrenewabletechnologies—solar,wind,hydropower—areestablishedassourcesofelectricity,andaregrowingintheirshareofproduction.Butthereremainsagapinrenewablevehiclefuels–petroleumstillaccountedfor92%ofalltransportationfueluseintheUSin2018.9Vehiclesequippedtousenaturalgas—andthereforeRNG—arealreadyprovenandcommerciallyavailableinlight,mediumandheavy-dutymodels.Electricvehicleswillplayalargerole,butintheheavydutyclassestheyarelimitedinrange

Source: California Air Resources Board

RNG from mixed food & green waste and from

animal manure are both carbon negative

andpowerintheshort-term,comewiththetoxicmetalsproductionliabilitiesofbatterymanufactureanddisposal,andcancostasmuchasdoublethepriceofCNGmodels.Whyreplacedieselspecifically?Diesel,usedprimarilybyheavy-dutyvehicles,hasbeenidentifiedasacarcinogenbytheWorldHealthOrganization.10In2016,nearly12.5millioncommercialtrucksandbusesintheUS11consumednearly40billiongallonsofdiesel12—nearly27%ofallon-roadfuel—emittingroughly29%ofallCO2efortransportation,or6.9%oftotalCO2efortheUS.13Naturalgas(fossilorrenewable)isamongtheonlyprovennon-dieseloptionsthatexisttoday.Atpresent,electricvehiclescannotfillthegap:whileall-electriccommercialvehicleslikedeliveryandrefusetrucksareinuse,theylackpowerandtendtobetiedtoshort,generallyurbanrouteswithdepotsandre-chargingfacilities;heavy-dutyand/orlong-haulelectriccommercialvehiclesarenotyetanoption.RNGisalreadyinuse• OneinfiveurbantransitbusesintheUSisequippedwithanaturalgasengine,14andcouldreadilyuseRNG.• TheLAMetrobusfleethas2200CNGbuses;halfofthemrunonRNG.• 60%ofrefusetruckordersarefornaturalgasmodelsthatcoulduseRNG.15CommercialwastehaulerWasteManagementanticipates75%ofitsfleetbeingCNGbytheendof2021,andabout20%ofits18,000trucksalreadyuseRNG,muchofitfromthecompany’sownlandfills.16

• AsofFebruary2020,logisticsgiantUPShascommittedtobuyingenoughRNGtodisplace250milliongallonsofdieselover7years.17Thatalsohelpseliminate2.8milliontonsofCO2e.18

• Withstatesupport,CaliforniaisgreatlyexpandingtheproductionofRNGonitsdairyfarms—somuchsothatutilitySoCalGasforesees20%ofallthegasitdeliverstohomesandbusinessesbeingRNGby2030.19

NYC’sBigRNGOpportunityAnaverageNYCbustravels71milesperday,20andburnsabout17gallonsofdiesel.21AnaverageNYCgarbagetrucktravels50milesperday,andconsumescloseto19gallonsofdiesel.22Meanwhile,NewYorkCitydiscardsroughly1,800tonsofcommercialfoodwastedaily.2350%ofthattotal—900tons—couldprovideenoughRNGtopower950busesor850refusetrucks,displacingover16,000gallonsofdieseland180tonsofCO2edaily.WhileNewYorkCity’sSanitationfleetonlyhas44CNGtrucksoutof2,100,NYC’s5,710-vehiclebusfleetalreadyincludes800busesrunningonCNG;900tonsoffoodwaste,orhalfthedailytotal,couldprovide(morethan)enoughRNGtokeepallthosebusesrunningyear-round.24RNGrepresentsanimmensebutmostlyuntappedresource.TheUShasampleorganicwastefeedstockstomakeRNG–thekeytoitswideruseasavehiclefuelliesinproven,deployabletechnology:digesters,upgradingfacilities,fuelingstationsandmorenaturalgasvehicles.Withpolicyleadership,especiallyattheCityandStatelevel,RNGcanbeanintegralcomponentofourlow-carbonenergyfuture.

All online sources accessed January & February 2020. 1 ReFED, “A roadmap to reduce US food waste by 20 percent,” https://www.refed.com/downloads/ReFED_Report_2016.pdf 2 US EPA, “National Overview: Facts and figures on materials, wastes and recycling,” https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overview-facts-and-figures-materials 3 US EPA, “The sources and solutions: wastewater,” https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/sources-and-solutions-wastewater 4 Zhang and Schroder, “Animal Manure Production and Utilization in the US,” https://www.researchgate.net/profile/ Hailin_Zhang2/publication/ 286297896 _ Animal_Manure_Production_and_Utilization_in_the_US/links/593012590f7e9beee761c54d/Animal-Manure-Production-and-Utilization-in-the-US.pdf 5 US Department of Agriculture, US Environmental Protection Agency, US Department of Energy, “Biogas Opportunities Roadmap,” August 2014. 6 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, “Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation,” 2012, https://www.ipcc.ch/report/renewable-energy-sources-and-climate-change-mitigation/; UN Industrial Development Organization, “Biogas to Biomethane,” 2017, https://www.biogas-to-biomethane.com/Download/BTB.pdf 7 US Energy Information Administration, “Use of Energy Explained: Energy use for transportation,” https://www.eia.gov/ energyexplained/use-of-energy/transportation-in-depth.php 8 US EPA, “Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks, 1990-2017,” Table 2-10, page 2-24, https://www.epa.gov/ sites/ production/files/2019-04/documents/us-ghg-inventory-2019-main-text.pdf 9 US EIA, “Use of Energy Explained,” https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/use-of-energy/transportation.php 10 American Cancer Society, “Diesel exhaust and cancer,” http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/diesel-exhaust-and-cancer.html 11 US DOT, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, “Large trucks and buses by the numbers,” http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ourroads/large-trucks-and-buses-numbers 12 US EIA, “Sales of Distillate Fuel Oil by End Use,” http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_cons_821dst_dcu_nus_a.htm 13 US EPA, “Greenhouse gas inventory data explorer,” https://cfpub.epa.gov/ghgdata/inventoryexplorer/#allsectors/allgas/gas/current 14 CNGnow, “Fleets,” www.cngnow.com/vehicles/fleets/Pages/information.aspx 15 NGVAmerica, https://www.ngvamerica.org/vehicles/refuse/ 16 Cole Rosengren, “Waste Management CEO projects fleet could be 75% CNG in 2021.” Waste Dive, 2.3.20, https://www.wastedive.com/news/waste-management-ceo-projects-75-percent-cng-fleet-2021/571273/ 17 StreetInsider.com, “UPS continues to build on renewable natural gas momentum,” 2.4.20, https://www.streetinsider.com/Globe+Newswire/ UPS+ Continues+to+Build+on+Renewable+Natural+Gas+Momentum/16431391.html 18 Based on 22.4 pounds of CO2e per gallon of diesel (US EIA). 19 Sempra Utilities press release, “Nation’s largest dairy renewable gas roducer announdces expansion of California facility,” 12.13.20, https://sempra.mediaroom.com/2020-01-13-Nations-Largest-Dairy-Renewable-Natural-Gas-Producer-Announces-Expansion-of-California-Facility 20 Energy Vision calculation, based on diesel mileage for buses from one Manhattan and one Bronx depot, taken from National Renewable Energy Laboratory, New York City Transit Hybrid and CNG Transit Buses: Interim Evaluation Results," pg. 53, Appendix A, Summary of Diesel, CNG and Hybrid Results." http://www.afdc.energy.gov/pdfs/38843.pdf 21 Energy Vision calculation, based on Oak Ridge National Labs, Center for Transportation Analysis, 2015 Vehicle Technologies Market Report, Chapter 3, Heavy Trucks, Table 25, "Typical Weights and Fuel Use by Truck Class". City buses are seen to be getting 2.5 to 6 MPG, our calculation splits the difference at 4.25 MPG. 22 NYC Dept. of Citywide Administrative Services response to Energy Vision data request, 2018. 23 Based on 657,000 tons annually. “New York City Organics Policy and Program Development,” PowerPoint presentation by DSNY Commissioner Bridget Anderson as part of American Biogas Council Webinar, “Biogas Development In NYS Drivers Of Change, Opportunities To Prosper,” January 7, 2016. 24 Energy Vision calculation. A refuse truck project in Sacramento California got about 20 diesel gallon equivalents (DGEs) of RNG from each ton of food waste; we have used 18 DGE here. Emissions based on 22.4 pounds of CO2e per gallon of diesel. US Energy Information Administration, “How much carbon dioxide is produce by burning gasoline and diesel fuel?”, http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=307&t=10