This week, the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition or Coalition) celebrates 13 years of leadership in the renewable natural gas (RNG) industry.
Founded on July 7, 2011, with just six member companies, RNG Coalition has provided advocacy and education pivotal in the adoption of public policies, including to protect, expand, create and diversify market demand for RNG across North America.
Operating ad hoc, industry stakeholders only managed to construct 31 biogas facilities between 1982 and the Coalition’s formation in 2011. Today, more than 400 Coalition members now operate or serve 338 RNG facilities and have an additional 165 RNG projects under construction — with another 323 projects in various stages of development.
“We are proud of what our organization and industry have achieved together, but our accomplishments to date are mere building blocks for the magnitude of work that remains to be done. Our focus is on the future, advancing our mission and achieving our Sustainable Methane Abatement & Recycling Timeline (SMART),” RNG Coalition Founder and CEO Johannes Escudero said today. “Our team of staff and members are committed to transforming the way people think about waste, energy and the environment.”
RNG facilities capture methane and CO2 from society’s inevitable waste streams and convert the avoided emissions into the Biogas, RNG and Renewable Hydrogen necessary to decarbonize our economy, fuel vehicles, and heat and power our homes, businesses, hospital, ports and universities.
The Coalition’s SMART initiative aims to capture and control methane and CO2 produced from 43,000-plus aggregated organic waste sites across North America — including from more than 4,400 landfills, 17,000 wastewater treatment facilities and 19,000 large farms and agricultural operations.
Wider recognition of RNG under federal regulatory programs like the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and, more recently, federal legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) have helped promote methane capture and conversion to RNG as a reliable clean energy solution. State-level transportation programs like Low Carbon Fuel Standards (LCFS) in California, Oregon, Washington and New Mexico and growing utility RNG procurement programs around the country are also leveraging RNG’s impact due in large part to policies promulgated by RNG Coalition advocacy.
As it enters its fourteenth year, the Coalition is just as committed to expanding use of RNG in voluntary markets around the world, and is working with members through five Leadership Advisory Boards (LABs) to expand deployment of RNG for use in aviation, marine and rail, and as a bio-intermediate in the manufacturing of renewable and bio-based products.
RNG Coalition’s membership is comprised of a diverse range of industry stakeholders, including waste collection, management and recycling companies, renewable energy developers, financiers, engineers, organized labor, law firms, manufacturing and technology and service providers, gas marketers, utilities, municipalities, colleges and universities and other end-users of RNG throughout the United States and Canada.
