Renewable Natural Gas Produced by Anaergia from Diverted Landfill Waste Now Flowing through SoCalGas System

RIALTO, Calif., March 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --  Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and Anaergia, Inc. (Anaergia) announced today that renewable natural gas (RNG) produced from household waste is now flowing into SoCalGas' pipeline system from the Rialto Bioenergy Facility (Facility). The Facility is located in San Bernardino County, California, and owned by Rialto Bioenergy Facility, LLC, an Anaergia company. A new one-mile pipeline connects the Facility to an existing SoCalGas pipeline. This is the fifth project in which carbon-negative RNG has been injected directly into SoCalGas' system. Images and video of the project can be found here.

Using Anaergia's advanced anaerobic digestion technology and proprietary systems, the Facility will produce up to 985,000 MMBTU/year of RNG each year using up to 300,000 tons of waste from local landfills and biosolids from regional wastewater treatment plants. Creating this carbon-negative fuel from waste will reduce landfilling and decrease greenhouse gas emissions by up to 220,000 metric tons per year—an amount equal to removing 47,500 passenger cars from the road.

"This project marks the fifth time SoCalGas has connected to an in-state renewable natural gas producing facility, and we're now distributing RNG from nearly 25 dairy farms and more than 18 cities' refuse collectors," said Jawaad Malik, SoCalGas vice president of strategy and sustainability, and chief environmental officer. "Capturing the methane that would have been emitted from this waste helps combat climate change and provides clean transportation fuel that also improves air quality."

"We are proud to support California's ambitious climate goals of landfill diversion, greenhouse reduction, and production of in-State carbon negative fuel," said Yaniv Scherson, Anaergia Chief Operating Officer. "The Rialto Bioenergy Facility is the largest generator of RNG in California and the first of a number of facilities Anaergia is constructing and developing across California to service the landfill diversion and RNG procurement needs of municipalities under SB 1383."

"This RNG project is an important step toward ensuring San Bernardino County residents have access to affordable and reliable energy, all while achieving California's clean energy goals," said Joe Baca Jr., San Bernardino County Supervisor (District 5). "This important RNG project utilizes existing household waste to deliver clean fuel for trucks, reducing air pollution along our San Bernardino County freeways while providing jobs and revenue sources for our residents." 

RNG is a clean fuel that can be used to heat homes and businesses, for cooking, and to fuel trucks and buses. Today organic waste from farms, landfills, and wastewater treatment plants account for about 80% of methane emissions in California. To combat that issue, California passed a law requiring 40% of methane from sewage treatment plants, dairies and other agriculture to be captured, with provisions for energy delivery to customers as part of the state's plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition, the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas projects that in California, RNG can generate $14.3 billion in economic growth, and support over 130,000 clean energy sector jobs in maintenance, manufacturing, construction, operations, and engineering.

Recently the California Public Utilities Commission approved SoCalGas' request to offer a voluntary RNG tariff.  The program will allow SoCalGas customers the option to purchase RNG and use it as part of their natural gas service. SoCalGas has been working to increase the amount of renewable gas produced in California for delivery to its customers and for use in transportation.

RNG production is growing in California. The state currently has about 30 operational dairy RNG projects with an estimated total emissions reduction of more than 1.4 million metric tons of greenhouse gas reduction (CO2e). Experts estimate as many as 160 RNG facilities will be in operation by 2024.

For more information on SoCalGas vision for California's clean energy future, visit www.socalgas.com/vision.

About Anaergia
Anaergia is the global technology leader in recovering value from waste for the municipal, industrial, and agriculture sectors. Through its proven portfolio of proprietary technologies, Anaergia's integrated solutions create value for its customers in the forms of renewable energy, quality fertilizers, and clean water, while dramatically reducing the cost of waste management. Anaergia's affiliates operate out of ten regional locations, including two manufacturing plants. Anaergia's technologies are in use at over a thousand resource recovery facilities worldwide, reducing greenhouse gas emissions while creating new revenue sources for its clients. For more information on Anaergia, please visit www.anaergia.com or contact [email protected].

About SoCalGas
Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas® is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, clean and increasingly renewable gas service to 21.8 million customers across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California, where more than 90 percent of residents use natural gas for heating, hot water, cooking, drying clothes or other uses. Gas delivered through the company's pipelines also plays a key role in providing electricity to Californians— about 45 percent of electric power generated in the state comes from gas-fired power plants.

SoCalGas' mission is to build the cleanest, safest and most innovative energy company in America, delivering affordable and increasingly renewable energy to its customers. In support of that mission, SoCalGas is committed to replacing 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by dairy farms, landfills and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also committed to investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while keeping bills affordable for our customers. From 2015 through 2019, the company invested nearly $7 billion to upgrade and modernize its pipeline system to enhance safety and reliability. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), an energy services holding company based in San Diego. For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook. 

SOURCE Southern California Gas Company