Renewable Natural Gas
What is RNG?
Renewable natural gas (RNG) production typically begins with the collection of organics, such as landfill, agricultural, or wood waste, or waste water.
When organic waste decomposes, it releases methane, which is the primary component of natural gas.
Producers can capture and purify this 'biogas' and inject it as RNG into existing natural gas streams. LINK
RNG sounds great. It captures methane from organic emissions that would be released into the atmosphere. Sadly, it is no cleaner or more renewable than "natural" gas obtained from fracking processes.
And BC does not produce enough RNG to replace fracked gas.
RNG MYTHS
Myth #1
RNG is clean
The chemical composition of natural gas and renewable natural gas is exactly the same.
RNG is 99% methane. If captured at a landfill or farm and used on site, it is better than fracking and transporting gas . But when it is produced, leakage can be .5%. And when burned, it still results in CO2, the main greenhouse gas causing global warming.
Myth #2
The RNG blend that you choose will come right to your home
There are no separate gas lines for renewable gas. Fortis is not assigning “renewable” gas molecules to specific dwellings. Rather, all the renewable gas produced or purchased by Fortis enters the same gas line system as all the rest of the fracked gas burned in our homes. Fortis may wish to claim that new buildings will be supplied 100 per cent with renewable gas, but it’s a deceit — under its plan, the gas that enters a new home will be no different from the gas that enters an older home next door. (climateemergencyunit.ca)
Myth #3
RNG is healthy for cooking
Burning gas in the home releases nitrogen dioxide (NO2), an air contaminant, that can aggravate COPD and asthma. There are fugitive gases released even when the stove is off. SwitchItUp states, "Natural gas furnaces, water heaters, clothes dryers, fireplaces, and cooking appliances generate a staggering amount of British Columbia's climate pollution."
Myth #4
RNG will help BC reach climate targets
RNG is not a low carbon solution if it is transported long distances due to emissions associated with building pipeline infrastructure and methane leakage along the system.
RNG is only low carbon if the biogas would otherwise be released into the environment or if the product is used very close to the source. We also have to make sure only true waste wood is used for biogas production, not trees.
Building new pipelines and hooking new homes on gas will continue to contribute to our climate crisis.
Myth #5
RNG will be cheaper
RNG costs more to produce. Fortis has to build new plants and new pipelines to connect landfills, farms, or wastewater treatment plants to customers.
Gas in BC is cheap now because our government subsidizes fracking with your tax $$. As the RNG industry expands, costs will be passed on to customers. As global prices increase, BC customers will not be exempt from higher bills. And the carbon tax will be increasing, too, from about $2.50 per gigajoule of gas to $9.50 per gigajoule by 2030.
