Southwest Gas seeks RNG offtake approval
In the United States (US), Southwest Gas Corporation (Southwest Gas) has submitted a procurement agreement to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) that would bring renewable natural gas (RNG) to its California customers, marking an important step in supporting the state's goals to reduce emissions from short-lived climate pollutants.
The agreement between Southwest Gas, Anew Climate LLC, and Anaergia, Inc. (Anaergia) subsidiary SoCal Biomethane, LLC (SCB) is the result of a competitive biomethane procurement process initiated by Southwest Gas.
If approved, it will fulfill regulatory requirements under the CPUC’s Senate Bill (SB) 1440 Biomethane Procurement Program, which requires gas utilities to procure biomethane to help reduce methane emissions.
Long-term offtake agreements from natural gas utilities support local and state climate goals, said Ryan Childress, Managing Director of Low Carbon Fuels at Anew Climate.
RNG from VVWRA
Under this agreement, RNG produced at the SCB facility at the Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority (VVWRA) is cleaned and upgraded to pipeline-quality natural gas and will be injected into Southwest Gas’ California system for distribution to its customers.
The VVWRA treats wastewater from several local communities, including Victorville, Apple Valley, and Hesperia.
The upgraded anaerobic digestion (AD) facility, owned and operated by Anaergia, co-digests food waste and municipal wastewater solids to generate biogas.
The facility can accept up to 65,000 gallons of slurried food waste daily, diverting an estimated 104,000 tonnes of organic waste per year.
Environmental and economic benefits
This RNG procurement agreement has the potential to reduce emissions from natural gas delivered to Southwest Gas’ California customers by up to 11,841 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2eq) per annum.
Additionally, this agreement presents a first-time opportunity for an actively producing project to qualify under the SB 1440 Biomethane Procurement Program to deliver RNG in the state of California.
Anaergia is committed to supporting California in achieving its ambitious methane reduction goals through innovative partnerships that serve communities with local and resilient infrastructure solutions, said Yaniv Scherson, COO of Anaergia.
This project not only reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in support of California’s broader environmental goals, but it also provides economic benefits to the community by employing local part-time and full-time staff.
VVWRA engages the community through educational outreach, facility tours, and a local Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) scholarship program, demonstrating the project’s broader environmental and educational impact.
These efforts reflect aligned commitments between VVWRA and Southwest Gas to support local communities while advancing a sustainable energy future.
At Southwest Gas, we are committed to providing access to safe, affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy. Delivering RNG to our customers from innovative projects like this one demonstrates our dedication to environmental stewardship, long-term energy solutions, and making a positive impact in the communities we serve, said Karen S. Haller, President and CEO of Southwest Gas Holdings.
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