Washington, DC – The Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition) expressed continued optimism and confidence in U.S. Cellulosic Biofuel production and value in the face of a Draft Renewable Fuel Volume Standard (RVO) for cellulosic biofuel in 2018 that is 73 million gallons below the 2017 RVO.
“Renewable Natural Gas [RNG] is the predominant source of cellulosic biofuel in America,” said Johannes Escudero, RNG Coalition CEO. “Today’s 2018 RVO draft rule does not reflect the true reality of projected fuel volume available. It doesn’t account for production of additional cellulosic biofuel from new projects that our members are already constructing across the country.”
RNG projects turn cellulosic waste, like garbage and manure, into natural gas-quality fuel that powers CNG and LNG vehicles, especially medium and heavy duty trucks and buses, throughout the United States.
The RNG Coalition previously called for a 2018 Cellulosic RVO at 421 million gallons based on volume data from the 22 new RNG projects currently under development and the 49 RNG projects producing fuel to meet the 2017 standard.
“RNG has exponentially added cellulosic biofuel volume since its qualification in 2014,” said Marcus Gillette, RNG Coalition Director of Public and Government Affairs. “Each RNG project brings an average of $16 Million in project development investment and 173 direct and indirect jobs into our communities.”
“By failing to account for RNG projects under development, a low cellulosic RVO puts more than 3,800 jobs and $352 million investment dollars at risk,” added Escudero.
“EPA is required to ‘take a neutral aim’ in setting the following year’s cellulosic biofuel volume standard,” said David Cox, RNG Coalition General Counsel. “This draft rule falls short of that standard. The RNG Coalition has the data to support the industry’s actual growth rate and projected volume. We will continue to make the data available to EPA and Administrator Pruitt throughout the comment process.”
The Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas was founded in 2011 and represents the renewable natural gas industry in North America, including companies that produce, or otherwise support production and distribution of biogas-derived renewable natural gas, which is a domestic, clean, low-carbon, and renewable source of power, heat and fuel that makes up the predominant share of Cellulosic Biofuel in North America.