Commercial, Sourcing Renewables  -  October 30, 2023

PG&E Decarbonizes with RNG

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) will decarbonize its natural gas system and expand on technologies that support the production of new, carbon-free and carbon-neutral energy resources. 

The company will purchase California-produced renewable natural gas (RNG) for residential and small commercial customers. The company is also announcing a new biomass-to-RNG project.  

"A clean and decarbonized energy future requires bold steps and breakthrough technologies. We're excited and eager to partner with other change-makers in Northern California to expand and scale the production of clean, renewable natural gas from the abundant wood waste available within our state," said Engineering, Policy and Strategy Executive Vice President Jason Glickman in a statement.  

A new woody biomass-to-RNG partnership pilot project will serve as the first contract secured toward PG&E's goal to procure RNG to serve 15% of its residential and commercial demand by 2030.   

The project is a collaboration between PG&E and West Biofuels in Woodland, Calif. The two companies will test new technology that converts wood and forest waste into a clean source of pipeline-ready natural gas. The facility uses advanced technology to convert most of the renewable carbon in the biomass into natural gas, maximizing output and eliminating emissions during production. This RNG source will provide natural gas service to residential and small commercial customers.  

PG&E also seeks to issue a second round of RNG procurement before the end of the year. These projects will be located in California and will create RNG from organic waste. Multiple types of organic waste feedstock will be eligible to participate, such as food waste, wastewater, and wood waste.

PG&E continues to connect new California RNG production sites to its gas pipeline system and is planning to interconnect a new landfill-based RNG facility located in the Bay Area in early 2024. As of October 2023, PG&E has delivered more than 1.5 billion cubic feet of RNG to buyers within the transportation sector that fuel up at one of PG&E's 22 compressed natural gas facilities.    

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