Washington governor signs renewable natural gas bill
Proponents of low-carbon fuels in Washington state have secured a legislative victory that should expand the role of renewable natural gas.
Governor Jay Inslee (D) yesterday signed into law a bill that requires the state to submit recommendations on how to promote the sustainable development and use of renewable natural gas, while pursuing voluntary gas quality standards for the injection of the product into natural gas pipelines. The bill also reinstates and expands several tax incentives for the industry.
"This bill will help in our fight against climate change by reducing highly-polluting methane emissions and displacing fossil fuels with low-carbon, renewable sources of biogas," said Inslee. "As we transition to a clean-energy future, this will help us promote production of renewable natural gas from landfills, wastewater treatment plants, food processing, and agriculture."
The measure, HB 2580, received broad support in the Legislature, passing the Senate by a 47-1 vote and the House unanimously.
Backers of the new law said it will help reduce methane emissions and decarbonize natural gas infrastructure.
"By supporting renewable natural gas project development, Washington's leaders are supporting the creation of clean energy sector jobs, improved air quality and public health," said Johannes Escudero, chief executive officer of the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas.
Renewable natural gas, also known as biomethane, is a more processed form of biogas and can be used to produce renewable electricity, heat and low-carbon transportation fuels. Biogas develops through the decomposition of organic materials like those found in landfills, wastewater treatment plants or dairy farms.
Two of the approximately 70 renewable natural gas plants in the US operate in Washington. The Cedar Hills Landfill produces the fuel from municipal solid waste, while the King County South Treatment Plant takes advantage of wastewater. One additional landfill facility is under construction and two more projects are planned for the near future, according to the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas.
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LNG glut coming and may catch many by surprise: Orsted
LNG glut coming and may catch many by surprise: Orsted
London, 25 September (Argus) — There will be an oversupply of LNG on the global market in the coming years, which may contribute further to "the decade of turmoil", Danish utility Orsted senior vice-president Rune Sonne Bundgaard-Jorgensen told Argus . "The [energy] crisis is absolutely not over. To me, an energy crisis is one of uncertainty and volatility," Bundgaard-Jorgensen said on the sidelines of the Energy Trading Week conference in London. "We are going to see an LNG glut which we all in this [conference] room see is coming but the rest of the world does not necessarily. That is going to catch a lot of people by surprise," he said, adding that "surprises are never good when it comes to energy". According to Bundgaard-Jorgensen, "we are going to see an ongoing decade of turmoil. Who knows where the war in the Middle East with the latest attacks on Hezbollah and Israel is going to take us," he said. Among other concerns, he mentioned "uncertainties in the Far East, around the South China Sea". "So, though the current energy crisis of decoupling from Russian pipe gas is over, the continued crisis of where we are going to get sustainable, long-term energy from is far from over," Bundgaard-Jorgensen said. Commenting on Orsted's long-term gas plans, Bundgaard-Jorgensen stressed that Orsted is "constantly evaluating" its gas portfolio. He refused to say whether Orsted is negotiating another long-term deal with Norwegian state-controlled Equinor after their previous contract expired in April. Orsted entered an agreement with Equinor at the end of 2022, after Russian state-controlled Gazprom halted deliveries to the firm from June 2022 following Orsted's refusal to pay for its supply in roubles . "We are quite happy that we are out of our long-term contract with Gazprom," Bundgaard-Jorgensen said. "As a company we believe in decarbonisation — but I also need to believe in a resilient portfolio. So, we are constantly looking to optimise. Gas is not a strategic core of Orsted but it is a very important tool of securing our portfolio," he said. Bundgaard-Jorgensen refused to comment on whether the firm is planning to appeal a decision made by the Danish Supply Authority in July that the tariff levied by Orsted on the Tyra-Nybro pipeline to Denmark from 2011 to October 2012 was too high. The authority reduced the tariff in the period by almost 30pc to 7.20 Danish kroner/m³ from DKr10/m³. By Alexandra Vladimirova Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Vertex Energy files for bankruptcy, seeks sale
Vertex Energy files for bankruptcy, seeks sale
Houston, 25 September (Argus) — Specialty refiner Vertex Energy has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in a US court following a failed foray into renewable fuels production at its 88,000 b/d Mobile, Alabama, refinery. Vertex has entered into a restructuring support agreement with its lenders and secured $80mn of new funding to finance its day-to-day business operations, the company said late Tuesday. The refiner is also considering a "more value-maximizing sale transaction" and expects to confirm its chapter 11 bankruptcy plan by the end of the year, according to the 24 September press release. Vertex announced in May this year that it would "pause" renewable diesel production at its Alabama refinery and return the unit to producing fossil fuel products. The company later said it would use a third quarter turnaround to return the Alabama plant's converted hydrocracking unit to processing fossil fuel feedstocks and be back online in the fourth quarter. Vertex also operates a re-refinery near New Orleans, Louisiana, that produces low-sulfur vacuum gas oil (VGO) and multiple used motor oil (UMO) processing plants and collection facilities along the Gulf coast. Refiners have faced mixed fortunes in recent years with their investments in renewable fuels after a glut of new supply flooded markets and depressed renewable credit prices. US independent refiner Delek announced in August that it is temporarily idling three biodiesel plants in Texas, Arkansas and Mississippi as it explores alternative uses for the sites. Chevron said earlier this year it was indefinitely closing two biodiesel plants in Wisconsin and Iowa due to market conditions. By Nathan Risser Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Biden touts climate legacy
Biden touts climate legacy
New York, 25 September (Argus) — US president Joe Biden made the case for his climate legacy on Tuesday, casting the Inflation Reduction Act as part of a "new economic playbook" and warning of environmental and economic repercussions if former president Donald Trump returns to the White House. The 2022 law, which included a raft of tax credits to subsidize clean energy technologies, was the "most significant climate law passed in the history of the world," Biden said in a speech at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum, an event on the sidelines of the UN general assembly and Climate Week NYC. The market for clean energy is "booming" because of the law, Biden said, pointing to investments made after its passage in battery technology, nuclear energy, hydrogen, and what the administration terms "climate-smart agriculture." Most of those benefits are flowing to Republican-led states, he noted. While analysts see some provisions in the law as less vulnerable than others, including tax credits for hydrogen and carbon capture popular among oil and gas companies, Republicans have said they want to repeal much of the law. Trump-era tax cuts are set to expire in 2025, teeing up a major legislative fight over tax policy next year regardless of which party controls the US Congress and the White House. Although Biden argued that his climate policies have already had substantial impacts, he also said that Trump could halt much of that progress. Manufacturing facilities and businesses that have started up because of the law's incentives would "shut down" if it was repealed, he said. The US shifting course on energy policy could also have spillover effects on other countries' climate ambitions, Biden said, pointing to his administration's support for language agreed to at last year's UN Cop 28 climate summit around transitioning away from fossil fuels. "If we didn't lead, who the hell leads? Who fills the vacuum without America leading?" he said. By Cole Martin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
EU crushing up in August on rapeseed, US soy harvest
EU crushing up in August on rapeseed, US soy harvest
London, 25 September (Argus) — EU and UK mills crushed more soybeans and rapeseed in August compared with the previous month and a year earlier, as inclement weather caused earlier harvests this year in Europe, increasing EU supplies. But total refined oil production levels were unchanged on the month. Fewer sunflower seeds (SFS) were crushed in August than in July, as high SFS prices lowered margins for crushers. Total oilseed crush levels increased on the month by 7pc to 3.5mn t in August, led by greater volumes of crushed soybeans and rapeseed, which increased by 6pc and 13pc, respectively. The UK and EU imported 135,000t less oilseeds on the month in August as the European harvest began, resulting in about 1.35mn t of imports in total. Production of semi-refined oil — typically used in the biodiesel sector — increased by 7pc on the month. But fully-refined oil — typically for the food sector — fell by 4pc, leaving total refined oil production virtually unchanged on the month. Rapeseed crushing rose by 13pc on the month in August and by 5pc on the year, as Ukraine, the UK and the EU began harvesting their 2024-25 harvests 3-4 weeks earlier than usual, given the crop's earlier flowering and ripening with unfavourable weather conditions. Soybean crushing continued to increase in August. But the share of soybeans in total oilseed imports has fallen — from 78.5pc in July to 71pc in August. The EU and the UK imported 200,000 fewer tonnes of soybeans in August than in July — or about 960,500t of soybeans in total. SFS crushing fell by 14pc in August to 0.4mn t on high SFS prices and limited stocks in the EU and Ukraine, as new-crop SFS arrivals — for the 2024-25 marketing year — do not start before this month. Nevertheless, SFS crushing increased by 17pc across the first seven months of this year on the back of greater EU crushing capacity. The strongest seed crushing growth expected by the USDA is in Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary, and to a lesser extent in Germany and Italy. By Madeleine Jenkins EU + UK crushing volumes mn t Aug-24 Jul-24 m-o-m change Aug-23 y-o-y change Jan-Aug 24 Jan-Aug 23 y-o-y change Soybean 1.21 1.14 6% 1.15 5% 9.5 9.6 -1% Sunflower seed 0.39 0.45 -14% 0.37 5% 4.0 3.4 17% Rapeseed 1.88 1.67 13% 1.72 9% 13.3 12.6 5% Semi-refined 0.35 0.33 7% 0.34 3% 2.7 2.6 5% Fully-refined 0.60 0.62 -4% 0.57 4% 4.9 4.5 8% Total Total oilseed 3.48 3.25 7% 3.24 7% 26.8 25.6 5% Total refined 0.95 0.95 0% 0.91 4% 7.5 7.0 7% Fediol Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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