Featured Article
Did you know the banana peel you threw out this morning will most likely contribute to climate change?
SoCalGas Advances Renewable Natural Gas Technology
14 | ConejoView
FALL 2019
That’s because, like all organic waste, the banana peel will break down in a landfill and, as it does, it will emit methane – a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Organic waste from food, agriculture, and even our sewer systems and landfills account for 80 percent of all methane emissions in California. So, should California outlaw bananas, force farmers to move to other states, or prohibit people from flushing the toilet to avoid these emissions? Of course not. It turns out there is a much easier and sustainable solution that is already being used to clean up the heavy-duty transportation sector here in California. It is called renewable natural gas, or RNG. RNG is made in a natural process that takes the waste from our kitchens, farms and yards and converts it into energy. So, the banana peel you threw out today, could help to heat your home or cook your food in the future. Today, most RNG is used in the transportation sector. Chances are that the bus you see going down the street or on the freeway with a “CNG” sticker on it is being powered by renewable natural gas. Over the last five years, RNG use as a transportation fuel has increased 577 percent, helping displace over seven million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (how greenhouse gas emissions are measured). That’s equal to the total energy used by more than 868,000 homes for one year. At SoCalGas, we are working to build on RNG’s success in the transportation sector by making it available to fuel the homes of our 21 million customers across Southern California. As part of our vision to be the cleanest natural gas utility in North America, our company has committed to replacing 20 percent of the natural gas we deliver to homes and small businesses with renewable natural gas by 2030.
