More to do on Methane

By Patrick Serfass and Adam Comora
Special to The Digest

A recent study released by the journal Science supported by research conducted by Carbon Mapper and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory revealed that methane emissions from landfills are greater than previously thought – but also that their abatement represents a significant opportunity in our fight against climate change.

“Addressing these high methane sources and mitigating persistent landfill emissions offers a strong potential for climate benefit,” said Dr. Dan Cusworth, Carbon Mapper Program Scientist and lead author on the paper.

To unleash this potential and encourage investment in the capture and productive use of methane emissions from organic waste, the EPA needs to take the final steps to unleash the full potential of renewable energy’s existing inclusion in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program.

For almost a decade renewable natural gas recycled from organic methane emissions has qualified for the program, encouraging growth and investment in these projects.  Unfortunately, there are thousands and thousands of smaller landfills, livestock farms and wastewater treatment facilities that are not large enough to afford a renewable natural gas project or are located too far from the necessary infrastructure to transport it.  But they could afford renewable electricity projects if EPA took action and finalized the eRIN pathway – a provision that already exists within the law.

The good news is we have the ability to address this problem today with proven technologies that can not only capture these harmful methane emissions but also recycle them into low carbon intensity energy products such as renewable electricity or renewable natural gas that replace fossil fuels.

The Biden Administration has rightfully been relentless in its focus on methane and has an opportunity to significantly expand these efforts by applying existing laws to encourage the capture and productive use of methane emitted by smaller sites.

The existing RFS already includes a system of credits that create a financial incentive to use renewable fuels in place of fossil fuel in the transportation sector. Under the eRIN Framework Rule, EPA would use that mechanism to produce credits for electricity produced from waste methane and used to charge electric vehicles (EVs).

Since 2010, the EPA has consistently stated that electricity produced from various sources of methane should qualify for credits under the program, and Congress has reinforced that and even appropriated funds for the EPA to begin issuing those credits. In fact, Congress just directed the EPA to provide a briefing on planned actions for this eRIN pathway.

The EPA just needs to take the final step to establish the ground rules for producing, selling, and using these credits.

This would produce a climate win-win:  decreases in both waste methane emissions and in greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector due to reduced use of gasoline.

The equipment that captures methane would also provide public health benefits by improving local air quality, since emissions can contribute to asthma, heart disease, and other health issues in impacted communities. And by supporting clean and renewable domestic electricity production to power the EVs that many Americans now choose to drive, the eRIN pathway would bolster American energy security.

Acting decisively to make the Renewable Fuel Standard eRIN pathway a reality this year would help secure the Administration’s legacy of battling climate change – reducing methane emissions from all sources, accelerating our transition to clean energy and transportation, advancing energy security while providing investment and economic benefits to municipalities, rural and agricultural communities.  This is something all Americans can get behind.

Patrick Serfass is Executive Director of the American Biogas Council, the voice of the US biogas industry. Patrick has led the American Biogas Council since he helped create it in 2010. The American Biogas Council now represents more than 400 organizations and 5,200 professionals and is dedicated to maximizing carbon reduction and economic growth using biogas systems. Beyond biogas, Patrick has more than 20 years’ experience growing clean energy industries, like solar, hydrogen, biochar, and woody biomass. In Patrick’s early career, he was a physical oceanographer, architectural engineer and designed unmanned deep ocean vehicles. Patrick holds a Bachelor of Arts in Engineering Sciences from Dartmouth College.

Adam Comora is the Co-Chief Executive Officer of OPAL Fuels, a vertically integrated leader in the capture and conversion of biomethane into low carbon intensity renewable electricity and renewable natural gas. From February 2011 until January 1, 2022, Mr. Comora was with Fortistar, a privately-owned investment firm that provides capital to build, grow and manage companies that address complex sustainability challenges, where among other positions he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of TruStar Energy (now the fuel station services segment of OPAL Fuels). Prior to joining Fortistar, Mr. Comora was a partner at EnTrust Capital, an asset management firm based in New York City, where he was an integral part of the investment team managing long only equities, a long/short strategy, and a fund of funds.