So, what is Renewable Natural Gas anyway?
We’re finding lower carbon energy1 in unlikely places. Renewable Natural Gas2 (RNG) is a lower carbon energy that can help lower overall 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 upgrade the biogas to create RNG.
How lower carbon RNG 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, lowering overall 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, lowering the use of fossil fuels and overall 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. Most FortisBC gas customers have a portion of their natural 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 lower carbon energy, could be as high as 440 petajoules (PJ) per year—around twice the province’s current gas use.
Continuing to acquire lower carbon gases, 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.
RNG for business customers
Learn how designating a portion of your natural gas use as RNG can help support your business’s sustainability goals, the blend options available and how you can subscribe to the voluntary RNG program today.
1FortisBC uses the term lower carbon energy to refer collectively to electricity and the lower carbon gases or fuels that the utility can produce, use and/or acquire under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Clean Energy) Regulation (“Regulation”). The Regulation identifies different sources of electricity and gas that are prescribed based on their feedstock and production processes. FortisBC’s lower carbon energy portfolio includes Renewable Natural Gas (also called “RNG”) and electricity. Other gases and fuels may be added to the portfolio over time. FortisBC’s lower carbon energy portfolio is lower carbon when compared to conventional natural gas.
2Renewable Natural Gas (also called “RNG”) is produced from biogas at dedicated RNG production facilities. Biogas is derived from decomposing organic waste at landfills or agricultural and other organic waste such as wastewater from treatment facilities. The biogas is captured, upgraded and processed to create RNG that is added to existing energy infrastructure. This means we’re unable to direct RNG to a specific customer. However, because RNG displaces conventional natural gas, the more RNG that is added to the gas system, the less conventional natural gas is used.
3FortisBC uses the term lower carbon gas to refer collectively to the lower carbon gases or fuels that the utility can produce, use and/or acquire under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Clean Energy) Regulation (“Regulation”). The Regulation identifies different sources of gases that are prescribed based on their feedstock and production processes. FortisBC’s lower carbon gas portfolio includes Renewable Natural Gas (also called “RNG”). Other gases and fuels may be added to the portfolio over time. FortisBC’s lower carbon gas portfolio is lower carbon when compared to conventional natural gas.
