EESI Briefing Highlights U.S. Biogas Potential

Renewable natural gas, produced from landfills, wastewater treatment plants, and other urban and agricultural residue streams, could meet from four percent to ten percent of current national demand for natural gas. This is just one interesting fact from a recent EESI briefing presentation.

On April 26, Kathryn Clay of the American Gas Foundation gave a presentation entitled Renewable Natural Gas: Part of Our Sustainable Energy Future as part of an EESI briefing for Congressional staff on Capitol Hill. She presented some of the highlights of her foundation’s recent study, The Potential for Renewable Gas: Biogas Derived from Biomass Feedstocks and Upgraded to Pipeline Quality.

Other interesting facts include:

For additional information and perspectives, see our post from April 20 and check out another previous EESI briefing Renewable Biogas: Too Valuable to Waste .

• When biogas is upgraded to pipeline quality, it can be used in many different applications – from space heating and cooking, to electric power production, to transportation fuel.
• Pipeline quality biogas can be shipped through the existing, extensive natural gas pipeline grid.
• The potential feedstocks for biogas production can be found in all fifty states.
• Biogas is carbon neutral or better (when it prevents methane emissions) and has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 148 million tons per year (CO2 equivalent), equivalent to taking 29 million cars off the road.
• Developing the nation’s biogas resources to full potential could create up to 250,000 new jobs.