So, what is Renewable Natural Gas anyway?
We’re finding lower carbon1 energy in unlikely places. Renewable Natural Gas2 (RNG) is a lower carbon energy that can help reduce overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
RNG in a nutshell
When bacteria break down organic waste from sources such as landfill sites, agricultural waste and wastewater from treatment facilities, they produce a biogas mostly made of methane. Our suppliers capture and clean the biogas to create RNG.
How lower carbon Renewable Natural Gas is made
5 common questions and answers about RNG
We’re here to help by answering the 5 common questions people have about RNG.
North America’s natural gas systems are all interconnected, so when RNG is injected into the gas system, it mixes with conventional natural gas. This means that we’re unable to direct RNG to a specific location. But the more RNG is added to the gas system, the less conventional natural gas is needed, reducing the use of fossil fuels and overall GHG emissions. Find out how RNG is delivered.
Derived from organic sources, RNG is a lower carbon direct substitute for conventional natural gas. It uses existing carbon already within the ecosystem, which means the gas itself does not add net new carbon to the atmosphere. So, the more RNG that is added to North America’s gas system, the less conventional natural gas is needed, reducing the use of fossil fuels and overall GHG emissions.
No. One of the great things about RNG is that adding it to North America’s gas system doesn’t require you to change or retrofit any of your existing gas appliances or equipment.
Signing up for the voluntary RNG program is simple. Customers can designate five, 10, 25, 50 or 100 per cent of the gas they use as RNG. All FortisBC gas customers have two per cent of their gas designated as RNG, known as designated RNG blend. FortisBC is the first energy utility in North America to automatically designate RNG to customers.
A 2022 report commissioned by the province of B.C., FortisBC and the BC Bioenergy Network reveals that by 2050, B.C.’s maximum potential of renewable and lower carbon energy,3 could be as high as 440 petajoules (PJ) per year—around twice the province’s current gas use.
Increasing the amount of renewable and lower carbon gases,4 like RNG, contributes to the provincial government’s CleanBC Roadmap to 2030. The gas system plays a vital role in meeting the energy needs of British Columbians while helping lower overall emissions.
Renewable Natural Gas for business customers
Learn how designating additional RNG can help support your business’s sustainability goals, the blend options available and how you can subscribe to the voluntary RNG program today.
1When compared to the lifecycle carbon intensity of conventional natural gas. The burner tip emission factor of FortisBC's current Renewable Natural Gas (also called RNG or biomethane) portfolio is 0.27 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per
megajoule of energy (gCO2e/MJ). FortisBC's current RNG portfolio lifecycle emissions for stationary combustion are -22 gCO2e/MJ. This is below B.C.'s lifecycle carbon intensity threshold of 30.8 gCO2e/MJ as set out in the 2024 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Regulation amendments.
2Renewable Natural Gas (also called RNG or biomethane) is produced in a different manner than conventional natural gas. It is derived from biogas, which
is produced from decomposing organic waste from landfills, agricultural waste and wastewater from treatment facilities. The biogas is captured and cleaned to create RNG. When RNG is added to North America’s natural gas system, it mixes with
conventional natural gas. This means we’re unable to direct RNG to a specific customer. But the more RNG is added to the gas system, the less conventional natural gas is needed, thereby reducing the use of fossil fuels and overall greenhouse
gas emissions
3FortisBC uses the term renewable and lower carbon energy to refer collectively to electricity and the lower carbon gases or fuels that the utility can acquire under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Clean Energy) Regulation,
which are: Renewable Natural Gas (also called RNG or biomethane), hydrogen, synthesis gas (from wood waste) and lignin. FortisBC's renewable and lower carbon gas portfolio currently includes only Renewable Natural Gas. Other gases and fuels may be
added to the program over time. Depending on their source, all of these gases have differing levels of lifecycle carbon intensity. However, all of these gases are lower carbon when compared to the lifecycle carbon intensity of conventional natural
gas. The current burner tip emission factor of RNG is 0.27 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per megajoule of energy (gCO2e/MJ) and the current renewable and lower carbon gas portfolio lifecycle emissions for stationary combustion are -22 gCO2e/MJ.
This is below B.C.'s lifecycle carbon intensity threshold of 30.8 gCO2e/MJ as set out in the 2024 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Regulation amendments.
4FortisBC uses the term renewable and lower carbon gas to refer collectively to the lower carbon gases or fuels that the utility can acquire under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Clean Energy) Regulation, which are: Renewable Natural Gas (also called RNG or biomethane), hydrogen, synthesis gas (from wood waste) and lignin. FortisBC’s renewable and lower carbon gas portfolio currently includes only Renewable Natural Gas. Other gases and fuels may be added to the program over time. Depending on their source, all of these gases have differing levels of lifecycle carbon intensity. However, all of these gases are lower carbon when compared to the lifecycle carbon intensity of conventional natural gas. The current burner tip emission factor of RNG is 0.27 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per megajoule of energy (gCO2e/MJ) and the current renewable and lower carbon gas portfolio lifecycle emissions for stationary combustion are -22 gCO2e/MJ. This is below B.C.’s lifecycle carbon intensity threshold of 30.8 gCO2e/MJ as set out in the 2024 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Regulation amendments.