COP25
Date: 2019-12-04
"China is already the world's carbon-emitting leader, emitting nearly twice the levels of America in second place, and it is building up its lead. And in 2019, China's only significant climate change accomplishment was its slaughter of 100 million methane-producing pigs. But of course, that wasn't about climate change; it was about restraining a swine flu outbreak.

"And things are set to get worse as China opens dozens of new coal-fired power plants. China's carbon output is heading even higher in 2020, even as America's is projected to decline. This speaks to something: Chinese President Xi Jinping is lying when he says he takes climate change seriously. His dirty coal plants and opposition to European carbon tariffs, evidence Xi's global economic and political ambitions come first.

"The COP25 community doesn't seem to care. Instead, this week's summit has opened with a range of thinly veiled jabs at the United States. This, even though America is leading the world in reducing its carbon emissions.

"Why the choice to attack America and ignore China? Because most nations prefer pomp to practicality on this issue. They know they can attack America but keep trading with America. But it's not so simple when it comes to China. These nations know that China views trade through the distinct prism of Xi's mercantilist worldview. And led by President Emmanuel Macron of France, the European Union is keen to keep Beijing happy in order to maintain Chinese investment and trade deals. The contrast here between European leaders' rhetoric and activists' demands is striking.

"But it doesn't change the exigent truth. Until COP25 puts China front and center in its carbon reduction sights, these summits will continue to produce nothing but hot air." (Source: Washington Post, 3 Dec., 2019)

More Low-Carbon Energy News COP25,  Climate Change,  

Auistralia,Climate Change
Date: 2019-12-02
According to the Australian Department of the Environment and Energy, year to June, Australia emitted 532 million tons of CO2 and equivalent greenhouse gases (Mt CO2 -e), a .01 pct drop from the previous 12-month period.

Agricultural emissions exerted the strongest downward pressure, falling 5.9 pct on the previous year to 67.4 Mt CO2-e, driven by decimated livestock numbers as a result of both drought and this year's floods in northern Queensland. Electric power generation contributed 179.9 Mt CO2 -e, down 1.2 pct for the year and 1.8 pect for the quarter, although it remained by far the biggest single source of greenhouse gas emissions.

The Department credited increased use of renewable energy and decreases in coal and natural gas power generation for falling emissions levels. Transport sector emissions also fell by 0.5 pct while emissions in all other sectors increased. Fugitive emissions rose 4.4 pct as a result of escaped methane during the natural gas extraction process. Emissions from fossil fuels burned directly by industry increased 3.6 pct.

Australia's Paris Climate Accord targeted of 26 to 28 pct below 2005 levels by 2030. Currently, Australia's emissions are 12.5 per cent below 2005 levels. (Source: Australian Department of the Environment and EnergyFinancial Review, 29 Nov., 2019) Contact: Australian Department of the Environment and Energy, 1800 057 590, www.environment.gov.au

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions,  Australia Emissions,  Climate Change,  

Global Atmosphere Watch
Date: 2019-12-02
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Greenhouse Gas Bulletin is reporting globally averaged concentrations of CO2 reached 407.8 parts per million (PPM) in 2018, up from 405.5 ppm in 2017. Methane and nitrous oxide also surged by higher amounts than during the past decade.

The increase in CO2 from 2017 to 2018 was close to that observed from 2016 to 2017 and just above the average over the last decade. Global levels of CO2 crossed the symbolic and significant 400 ppm benchmark in 2015.

Additionally, since 1990, there has been a 43 pct increase in total radiative forcing -- the warming effect on the climate -- by long-lived greenhouse gases. CO2 accounts for about 80 pct of this, according to figures from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Annual Greenhouse Gas Index. (Source: WMO, Nov., 2019) Contact: WMO, Clare Nullis, Media,, +41 79 709 13 97, cnullis@wmo.int, www.wmo.int; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, www.noaa.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ,  Global Atmosphere Watch,  

Stratford Ontario
Date: 2019-12-02
In Ontario, the City of Stratford (pop. 31,500) reports it is considering plans to turn landfill organic waste into renewable natural gas (RNG) at a city water plant in a residential area.

The project is reportedly being vigorously opposed by city residents due primarily to its residential area location. The city says it is aiming to utilize facilities that are already in place. If approved and constructed, the proposed project would be completed in about a year. (Source: City of Stratford, DDS, 30 Nov., 2019) Contact: City of Startford, 519-271-0250 ext. 315,/www.stratfordcanada.ca › dobusiness › waterandsewage

More Low-Carbon Energy News Methane,  RNG,  Biogas,  

Date: 2019-11-29
Atmospheric levels of climate-changing greenhouse gases hit a record high in 2018, “with no sign of a slowdown, let alone a decline,” the World Meteorological Organization said. In a report released Monday, the WMO said despite international pledges made under the Paris Agreement, the levels of carbon monoxide, methane and nitrous oxide all surged by higher amounts in 2018 than average for the past decade. The global average of carbon dioxide concentration reached 407.8 parts per million in 2018, up from 405.5 parts per million in 2017, the U.N. agency said. The concentration of methane was the highest recorded since 1998 while the levels of nitrous oxide, which is responsible for eroding the ozone layer was the highest ever recorded. "This continuing long-term trend means that future generations will be confronted with increasingly severe impacts of climate change, including rising temperatures, more extreme weather, water stress, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems," according to a summary of the report. The report was released ahead of next month’s global climate summit in Madrid. “It is worth recalling that the last time the Earth experienced a comparable concentration of carbon dioxide was 3-5 million years ago," WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said. At the time, the Earth's temperature was as much as 5 degrees warmer and sea levels were as much as 65 feet higher than they are now, he said. (Source: WMO, VOA News 26 Nov., 2019)

World Meteorological Organization
Date: 2019-11-27
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reports world wide CO2 and other greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere are at a record high and still rising faster than ever with no sign of slowing down.

In a report released Monday, the WMO said despite international pledges made under the Paris Climate Agreement (COP 15), the levels of carbon monoxide, methane and nitrous oxide all surged by higher amounts in 2018 than average for the past decade. The global average of carbon dioxide concentration reached 407.8 parts per million in 2018, up from 405.5 parts per million in 2017, the U.N. agency said. The concentration of methane was the highest recorded since 1998 while the levels of nitrous oxide, which is responsible for eroding the ozone layer was the highest ever recorded. The report was released ahead of next month's global climate summit in Madrid.

This follows the overwhelming scientific consensus delivered earlier this month that the Earth is indeed facing a climate emergency. Over 11,000 scientists world wide, including 409 from Canada, signed a letter pleading for world leaders to take the crisis seriously, for the wealthy to change their habits and for those in denial to accept that global warming is human driven.

Specific to Canada, Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has committed Canada to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 and to reduce CO2 levels by 30 pct by 2030. In December 2018, Climate Change Canada projected Canada's total emissions by 2030 are only on track to be 19 pct below 2005 levels. (Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada,Various Media, Nov., 2019) Contact: Environment and Climate Change Canada, (800) 668-6767, www.canada.ca › environment-climate-change; World Meteorological Organization, www.public.wmo.int/en

More Low-Carbon Energy News World Meteorological Organization,  Climate Change,  ,  

Methane,Environment and Climate Change Canada
Date: 2019-11-25
As previously reported, Environment and Climate Change Canada has announced proposed regulations to cut methane emissions from drilling and processing by 20 megatonnes a year.

Under the new regulations, affected companies would be required to regularly check and repair leaks from their equipment, use cleaner technologies to minimize emissions, monitor emissions at their property lines and report the results to the Canadian government.

The regulations are part of the Pan-Canada Framework for Clean Growth and Climate Change to cut methane by 40 to 45 pct by 2025.

The Canadian oil and gas sector produces about 44 pct of the country's escaping methane which represents about 15 pct of Canada's greenhouse-gas emissions. The changes are expected to cost the industry an estimated $3.3 billion over the next 20 years. (Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada, CBC, Various Media, Nov. 2019) Contact: Environment and Climate Change Canada,(800) 668-6767, www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change.html

More Low-Carbon Energy News Methane Emissions,  GHG,  Climate Change,  Environment and Climate Change Canada,  

Energy Power Partners
Date: 2019-11-25
In the Keystone State, the borough of Chambersburg reports it has extended its contract with Progressive Waste's Blue Ridge Landfill Energy Power Partners for landfill gas generated electricity at a "very competitive" rate.

Chambersburg's original agreement was with Progressive Waste's Blue Ridge Landfill which is now owned by Energy Power Partners (EPP). Under the new arrangement with EPP, the borough expects to realize a $7.8 million electric power savings over the next 12 plus years. Roughly 15 pct of all the electricity in Chambersburg is sourced from a renewable green energy, according to the release. (Source: Borough of Chambersburg, Herald-Mail, 25 Nov., 2019) Contact: Borough of Chambersburg, Jeffrey Stonehill,Borough Manager, Utilities Dir., 717-251-2437, www.borough.chambersburg.pa.us

More Low-Carbon Energy News Landfill Gas,  Methane,  

Methae, EPA
Date: 2019-11-25
Reporting from Boston, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey on Friday last joined a coalition of 20 state attorneys general in calling on the Trump administration EPA to "withdraw its illegal attempt to gut Obama era regulations that limit methane emissions and other harmful pollutants from new, reconstructed and modified sources in the oil and natural gas sector" -- the largest industrial source of environmentally damaging methane emissions.

The coalition contends the EPA's unlawful proposal to rescind the Obama era methane regulation will threaten public health and the environment by increasing extremely harmful methane emissions, smog-forming volatile organic compounds (VOCs), benzene, formaldehyde and others.

The Obama era 2015 rule is projected to reduce 300,000 tons of methane, 150,000 tons of VOCs, and 1,900 tons of hazardous air pollutants in 2020 alone. The rule will protect the environment and save businesses money with a net benefit of $35 million in 2020 and $170 million in 2025. On the other hand, the EPA's estimates show their planned proposal will increase methane emissions and VOCs by hundreds of thousands of tons through 2025!

Joining AG Healey are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia, as well as the City of Chicago, the City and County of Denver, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. (Source: Office of Mass. AG, STL News, 23 Nov., 2019) Contact: Office of Mass. AG, (617) 727-2200, www.mass.gov/orgs/office-of-attorney-general-maura-healey

More Low-Carbon Energy News Methane,  Methane Emissions,  EPA Methane Emissions Rollback,  

Mew Mexico Climate Change
Date: 2019-11-22
Since Governor Lujan Grisham (D) signed Executive Order 2019-003, bringing New Mexico to the forefront of states taking ambitious climate action, we have made rapid progress towards our goals. New Mexico joined the U.S. Climate Alliance and committed to a statewide reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of at least 45 pct by 2030, as compared to 2005 levels. Legislation signed into law by the Governor during the 2019 legislative session demonstrates the seriousness and speed of our work: New Mexico's landmark Energy Transition Act contains one of the most ambitious renewable energy and zero-carbon electricity standards in the United States and establishes worker and community transition funds. New Mexico's electric utility efficiency standards are stronger than ever. The Climate Change Task Force, which spans all state agencies, has developed an initial suite of ambitious policies to accelerate the state's transition into a clean energy future.

These policies, which include a methane emission reduction regulatory framework, an update to the state's building codes, and electricity transmission corridors to transport renewable electricity resources to market -- among many others -- are already beginning to come to fruition. This is only the beginning.

Download the New Mexico Climate Strategy 2019 Report HERE. (Source: Arizona Climate Action, Las Cruces Sun News, Nov., 2019 Contact: Arizona Climate Action, www.climateaction.state.nm.us

More Low-Carbon Energy News Cliamte Change,  Low-Carbon Energy,  Carbon Emissions,  

Methane
Date: 2019-11-13
The Government of New Zealand reports it is investing $26 million in an international mission to find and measure agricultural, industrial and oil and gas industry methane emissions from space.

The state-of-the-art "MethaneSAT" satellite initiative is scheduled to launch in 2022. Data gathered by the satellite will be used to help shape and support New Zealand's climate change, emissions reductions efforts. (Source: NZ Newshub, 7 Nov., 2019)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Methane,  Climate Change,  

California Independent Petroleum Association
Date: 2019-11-13
In Sacramento, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has vetoed AB 1195, a bill to allow the use of renewable natural gas (RNG)-- biomethane -- in the production of traditional transportation fuels in the Golden State. The governor alleged it would misapply the state's low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) regulation.

Newsom claimed AB 1195 would require the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to allow RNG deliveries via common carrier pipelines to crude oil production or transport facilities from a source that CARB determines reduces methane emissions under the state's LCFS regulations.

The bill was supported by the California Independent Petroleum Association (CIPA) on the grounds that it would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in support of the state's climate change initiatives. (Source: NGI Daily, 11 Nov., 2019) Contact: California Independent Petroleum Association, 916-447-1177, www.cipa.org; California Air Resources Board, Melanie Turner, Information Officer, (916) 322-2990, melanie.turner@arb.ca.gov, www.arb.ca.gov; Calf. Gov. Gavin Newsom, (916) 445-2841, (916) 558-3150 - fax; https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov40mail

More Low-Carbon Energy News ,  California Air Resources Board,  RNG,  Biomethane,  

New Zealand
Date: 2019-11-08
In Wellington, the Liberal Government of New Zealand is reporting passage of a bipartisan Zero Carbon bill aimed at combating climate change and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

The bill requires all greenhouse gases except methane from animals to be reduced to net zero by 2050. Methane emissions would be reduced by 10 pct by 2030 and 50 pct by 2050.

The legislation establishes a Climate Change Commission to advise the government which has committed to plant 1 billion trees over 10 years and to ensure that the electricity grid runs entirely from renewable energy by 2035. The bill also aims to fulfil New Zealand's obligations under the landmark 2015 Paris climate agreement. (Source: Daily Independent, Others, Nov., 2019) Contact: New Zealand Climate Change Minister, James Shaw, www.beehive.govt.nz/minister/hon-james-shaw

More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change Risk,  New Zealand Climate Change,  Climate Change Mitigation,  

CNG Fuels
Date: 2019-11-08
In the UK, West Midlands-based bio-CNG fuel supplier CNG Fuels reports plans to become the UK's first supplier of carbon-neutral fuel sourced 100 pct from renewable biomethane for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). Bio-CNG is the lowest-carbon and most cost-effective alternative to diesel for HGVs, cutting vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 85 pct and costs by 35-45 pct, according to the company.

CBG Fuels sources biomethane from food waste but is in the process of securing supplies of biomethane from manure to create a net-zero emissions fuel (on a well-to-wheel basis). The company aims to begin offering carbon-neutral biomethane from 2021 and is also developing a nationwide network of public access HGV refueling stations on major truck routes.

CNG Fuels began supplying RFTO-certified renewable biomethane three years ago. It is the UK's only dedicated provider of public access CNG refueling infrastructure. By spring 2020, it hopes to have six refueling stations in operation serving major trunk roads and cities, and capable of refueling up to 3,000 HGVs a day, according to the release. (Source: CNG Fuels, Bioenergy News, 6 Nov., 2019) Contact: CNG Fuels, . Philip Fjeld, CEO, (+44) 07971 541 000, {startlink]info@cngfuels.com], www.cngfuels.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News CNG ,  Biomethane,  Methane,  Biofuel,  

Kinetrex Energy ,EDL North America
Date: 2019-11-08
Following up on our June 17th coverage, Indianapolis-headquartered LNG specialist Kinetrex Energy reports work is underway on what the company claims will be the largest renewable natural gas (RNG) project in Indiana.

Kinetrex is working with Australia-based sustainable energy producer EDL and South Side Landfill of Indianapolis on the $25 million project that will process landfill methane into about 8 million gpy of RNG transportation fuel. The new RNG plant is expected to be fully operational in January, 2020. (Source: Kintrex Energy, Inside Indiana, 7 Nov., 2019) Contact: EDL North America, Jim Grant, CEO, (517) 208-0743, www.edlenergy.com; Kintrex, Aaron Johnson, CEO, 317-886-8179, www.kinetrexenergy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Kinetrex Energy ,  Biogas,  Methane,  Landfill Methane,  RNG,  Renewable Natural Gas,  

Carbon Credit, AirCarbon Pte
Date: 2019-11-01
In Singapore, AirCarbon Pte Ltd. reports its newly launched global blockchain-based AirCarbon Exchange will provide a ready supply of credits (EEUs) to airlines and other corporate buyers wishing to acquire CO2 offsets for compliance and voluntary purposes.

These credits, when approved, will be eligible under the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) regime. Each tradable token will be backed by one equivalent tonne of CORSICA-compliant, highly liquid and tradable carbon credits. AirCarbon is applying for the recognized market operator (RMO) licence from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and aims for the exchange to be fully operational in 2020.

AirCarbon also operates the AirCarbon Fund, an investment fund which invests in carbon-mitigating projects such as reforestation, methane capture and carbon emissions reduction. Through these projects, the fund intends to generate CORSIA-compliant tradable carbon offsets, which will then be listed on the exchange. (Source: AirCarbon Pte, Business Times, 30 Oct., 2019) Contact: AirCarbon Pte Ltd., www.aircarbon.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Credit,  EEUs,  Carbon Offset,  ICAO,  

Warrens Group
Date: 2019-11-01
In the UK, Newton Aycliffe-based agricultural and food waste recyling specialist Warrens Group reports it is upgrading its vehicles fleet to run on biomethane gas. The business, which is committed to converting all of its distribution operations to fossil-free sources by 2025, says the switch will generate 84 pct less carbon dioxide than diesel.

The vehicles make Warrens the first food waste recycling company in the UK to power its HGV waste collection vehicles with biogas converted directly from its own food waste customers.

The company took delivery of our first bio-fueled vehicle in September last year. The new biomethane powered trucks will be in operation six days a week, with refueling carried out on site at the Newton Aycliffe facility.(Source: Warrens Group, Business UpNorth, 30 Oct., 2019) Contact: Warrens Group, Antony Warren, +44 1388 488225, www.warrens-group.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Biofuel,  Biogas,  Biomethane ,  

Carbon Emissions
Date: 2019-10-28
According to a report in Airdrei Today, scientist have found Arctic soil has warmed to the point where it releases more carbon in winter than northern plants can absorb during the summer. The finding means the extensive belt of tundra around the globe -- a vast reserve of carbon that dwarfs what's held in the atmosphere -- is becoming a source of greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change.

Until recently, scientists assumed the microbial processes that release methane and CO2 from permafrost came to a halt in the cold. With this study, scientist found CO2 emissions of about 1.7 billion tpy -- twice the previous estimates -- just over one 1 billion tpy of CO2 Arctic plants are thought to take in from the atmosphere during growing season. The net result is that Arctic soil around the globe is probably already releasing more than 600 million tpy of CO2.

Under a business-as-usual scenario, emissions from northern soil would be likely to release 41 pct more carbon by the end of the century, even if significant mitigation efforts are made, those emissions will increase by 17 pct, said the report. (Source: Airdrie Today, Canadian Press, 22 Oct., 2019)

More Low-Carbon Energy News CO2,  Carbon Emissions,  

Oil and Gas Climate Initiative
Date: 2019-10-28
In London, the thirteen-member Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) is reporting a $1 billion commitment to support the goals of the Paris Climate Accord -- including investments in carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS) and supporting carbon taxes and economic incentives aimed at reducing emissions.

Initially, OGCI will help decarbonize multiple industrial hubs in the United States, United Kingdom, Norway, the Netherlands and China. The OGCI also aims to build on the industry's reduction in methane emissions (9 pct in 2018) and to include carbon emissions in hope that future temperature increases will not exceed 2 degrees Celsius. To complement its methane emissions-intensity target, OGCI seeks to reduce collective average carbon intensity by 2025.

The OGCI member companies -- BP, Chevron, CNPC, Eni, Equinor, ExxonMobil, Occidental, Pemex, Petrobras, Repsol, Saudi Aramco, Shell and Total -- account for 32 pct of global operated oil and gas production, according to the OGCI website. (Source: OGCI, Alex Mills, Tims Record News, 28 Oct., 2019) Contact: Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, +44 (0)203 922 0853, contact@climateinvestments.energy, www.oilandgasclimateinitiative.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Oil and Gas Climate Initiative ,  

Smithfield Foods, Dominion Energy
Date: 2019-10-25
Following up on our August 19 coverage, Richmond, Virginia-headquartered Dominion Energy Inc and meat processing giant Smithfield Foods Inc are reporting plans to will double their joint investment in their 2018 Align Renewable Natural Gas (Align RNG) joint venture anaerobic digestion project to the tune of $500 million through 2028.

The two firms anticipate Align RNG will undertake RNG from hog methane projects outside of North Carolina, Virginia and Utah, where its initial projects are located, according to a release. The newly announced investment injection will support projects that could produce sufficient RNG for 70,000 or more households and businesses by 2029. (Source: Smithfield Foods, Dominion Energy, PR 23 Oct., 2019) Contact: Dominion Energy, Aaron Ruby, (804) 771-3404, Aaron.F.Ruby@dominionenergy.com, Gary Courts, GM New Bus. Dev., www.DominionEnergy.com; Smithfield Foods, Lisa Martin, (757) 365-1980, lvmartin@smithfield.com, www.smithfieldfoods.com; Align RNG, (833) 658-9396, www.alignrng.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News RNG,  Dominion Energy,  Smithfield Foods,  

Algae Biofuel
Date: 2019-10-23
Algae Biofuel Market by Type -- Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast, 2017 - 2024, a new report from Zion Market Research provides a comprehensive glance of algae biofuel market on the global and regional level. The study gives historical data from 2015 to 2017 along with the forecast from 2018 to 2024 based on both revenue and volume. The study includes major driving forces and restraints for the algae biofuel market along with the impact they have on the demand within the forecast period. Additionally, the study also provides the major growth opportunities of global algae biofuel market.

The global algae biofuel market study also comprises the detailed value chain analysis for providing a comprehensive view of the market. Moreover, the study also includes Porter's Five Forces model for algae biofuel, to understand the competitive landscape of the global market. The study includes a market attractiveness analysis of all the segments related to the market.

Algae Biofuel Market by Type (Bioethanol, Biodiesel, Methane, Jet Fuel, Biobutanol, Biogasoline, Green Diesel, and Others) and for Application (Transportation, Aerospace, and Other Applications): Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast, 2017 -2024 report details HERE. (Source: Zion Market Research, Oct. 2019) Contact: Zion Market Research, 386-310-3803, www.zionmarketresearch.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Algae Biofuel,  Zion ,  

Element Markets Renewable Energy,Roeslein Alternative Energy
Date: 2019-10-09
Element Markets Renewable Energy (EMRE) reports Monarch Bioenergy -- a joint venture between Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Roeslein Alternative Energy (RAE) -- has awarded it a 5 - year contract as exclusive marketer for the renewable natural gas (RNG) produced at Monarchs biomethane production facilities in Northern Missouri.

Monarch converts hog manure collected from Smithfield Hog Production farms in that state into RNG, while simultaneously delivering ecological services and developing wildlife habitat. Through this joint venture, all Smithfield company-owned finishing farms in Missouri will have the infrastructure to produce RNG.

Monarch's next-generation manure-to-RNG project incorporates restorative prairie grass planting and harvesting techniques, in combination with methane captured from covered manure lagoons or digesters to create a steady supply of RNG. (Source: Element Markets Renewable Energy, Canadian Biomass, 8 Oct., 2019) Contact: Smithfield Foods, www.smithfieldfoods.com; Roeslein Alternative Energy, Rudi Roeslein, Pres., Brian Gale, Bus. Dev., Chris Roach, Proj. Dev., (314) 729-0055, croach@roesleinae.com, www.roesleinalternativeenergy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Roeslein Alternative Energy,  Element Markets Renewable Energy,  

Equitrans Midstream Corporation
Date: 2019-09-27
In the Steel City, Equitrans Midstream Corp. (ETRN) and EQM Midstream Partners LP (EQM) have come out in support of the US oil and gas industry's ongoing efforts to reduce methane emissions and therefore oppose the US EPA's proposed rollback of methane regulations.

The EPA's April 2019 inventory report showed total methane emissions are down 15.8 pct since 1990 -- insufficient to achieve regulatory compliance on methane emissions in order to address the global impacts of climate change.

ETRN and EQM currently utilize various methane mitigation methods across their operations and are evaluating additional enhancement and mitigation efforts, such as: expansion of the Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) programme; pneumatic controller upgrades; re-compression of pipeline gas prior to maintenance procedures; and upgrading existing stations with air or electric starts.

ETRN is a member of the Environmental Partnership -- a voluntary reduction programme offered through the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the ONE Future Coalition of natural gas companies working together to voluntarily reduce methane emissions across the natural gas supply chain to 1 pct pct. (Source: ETRN, PR, Sept., 2019) Contact: Equitrans Midstream Corporation, Diana Charletta , Pres., CEO, www.equitransmidstream.com; EQM Midstream Partners, www.eqm-midstreampartners.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Methane,  EPA,  

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
Date: 2019-09-27
As previously reported, a study of the economic consequences of a melting Arctic from the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) in Espoo has found that the release of methane and CO2 from thawing permafrost will accelerate global warming and add up to $70 trillion to the worlds climate bill.

The study authors contend their study is the first to calculate the economic impact of permafrost melt and reduced albedo -- a measure of how much light that hits a surface is reflected without being absorbed -- based on the most advanced computer models of what is likely to happen in the Arctic as temperatures rise.

The study notes that on the current trajectory of at least 3 degree C of warming by the end of the century, melting permafrost is expected to discharge up to 280 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide and 3 gigatonnes of methane, which is 10 to 20 times more damaging to the the afmosphere than carbon dioxide. This would increase the global climate-driven impacts by $70 trillion between now and 2300, the report concludes. (Source: VIT, Weekened Leader, 22 April, 2019) Contact: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, +358 20 722 111, +358 20 722 7001 - fax., www.vttresearch.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland news,  VTT news,  Climate Change news,  Methane news,  

European Commission,Strategic Research Institute
Date: 2019-09-25
With the goal of boosting the circular economy, energy efficiency and emissions reduction, Spanish auto maker SEAT S.A. reports it will participate in the Life Landfill Biofuel project which will obtain renewable gas from municipal landfills. The project, which was recently approved by the European Commission, is intended to produce biomethane from an indigenous, abundant biomass energy source. The 4-year project is budgeted at €4.6 million of which the European Commission will provide 55 pct.

SEAT is currently working on the Life Methamorphosis project to obtain biomethane from previously selected waste and animal slurry from a farm in Lleida, Spain. The new Life Landfill Biofuel project is a step further as the raw material originates directly from the landfill, without prior separation.

Other project participants include FCC, IVECO, The University of Granada, the CARTIF Foundation, SYSADVANCE and Gasnam. SEAT previously developed a similar project with Aqualia to convert waste water into biofuel. (Source: SEAT S.A. Website, Strategic Research Institute, 24 Sept., 2019) Contact: Universitat de LLeida, Departament de Produccie Vegetal, www.pvcf.udl.cat; SEAT, www.seat.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Landfill Gas,  Biomethane,  Waste-to-Fuel ,  

Zion Market Research
Date: 2019-09-23
Zion Market Research is touting its recently published Algae Biofuel Market by Type (Bioethanol, Biodiesel, Methane, Jet Fuel, Biobutanol, Biogasoline, Green Diesel, and Others) and for Application (Transportation, Aerospace, and Other Applications): Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast, 2017 -- 2024 report.

The report covers crucial data associated with worldwide Algae Biofuel Market, highlights the newest technological developments and new launches, and other related developements that impact the algae biofuel market. According to the report the Algae Biofuel Market will will be valued at $9.88 billion by 2024.

Report details are HERE. Request sample copy of Algae Biofuel Market Research Report HERE. (Source: Zion Market Research, Sept., 2019) Contact: Zion Market Research, +49-322 210 92714, USA/Canada Toll-Free No.1-855-465-4651, sales@zionmarketresearch.com, www.zionmarketresearch.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Zion Market Research ,  Algae,  Algae Biofuel,  

World Biogas Association
Date: 2019-09-20
Following on from the recent publication of its Global Potential of Biogas report, which demonstrates that biogas could rapidly reduce world GHG emissions by 12 pct, the World Biogas Association (WBA) has issued recommendations to world governments, financial institutions and other key decision makers to support the industry becoming a key player in meeting Paris Agreement commitments and developing a low carbon circular economy.

The WBA emphasizes the need to move away from fossil fuels and invest in the infrastructure and incentives required to build a powerful anaerobic digestion and biogas industry that will provide a stable and flexible source of clean energy, as well as bio-fertilisers for agriculture and a potent waste management and sanitation solution. The key recommendations focus around:

National pledges to reduce GHG emissions, including the removal of fossil fuel subsidies, through their Paris Agreement Nationally Determined Commitments, energy plans, net-zero targets by 2050 and increases in renewable energy production and consumption over the next decade.

The inclusion of AD into these pledges and at the core of circular economy strategies, with targets set for the production of biogas, AD included in all incentive policies and AD nominated as the preferred method of treatment for all biodegradable wastes.

Policies to increase biodegradable wastes capture, including the provision by local governments of separate food waste collections in both urban centers and rural areas, and mandatory food waste collection and treatment for businesses of a certain size, combined with increased AD capacity to process the new waste stream.

The development of a robust infrastructure to enable the collection and processing of feedstock in large communities as well as remote rural areas, its treatment through both large and small scale facilities, and distribution through a network of refueling points for biomethane as a transport fuel and injection points for gas going into the grid.

The management of digestate and implementation of regulations and standards for its safe trading and use.

Measures to ensure land is managed with due diligence to environmental impact and energy crops are integrated into production in the most sustainable way.

The World Biogas Association is the global trade association for the biogas, landfill gas and anaerobic digestion (AD) sectors, dedicated to facilitating the adoption of biogas globally. It believes that AD and biogas technologies provide multifaceted opportunities to produce clean, renewable energy while resolving global issues related to development, public health and economic growth.

Download the Global Potential of Biogas report HERE. (Source: World Biogas Association, PR, 19 Sept., 2019) Contact: World Biogas Association, David Newman, Pres., www.worldbiogasassociation.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News World Biogas Association,  Biogas,  Methane,  

Collaboratory for Advancing Methane Science
Date: 2019-09-20
Petroleum giants BP and SIEP, Inc. (Shell) are reported to have joined the Collaboratory for Advancing Methane Science (CAMS), an industry-led consortium researching methane emissions and delivering transparent data to evaluate the most effective methane emissions reduction strategies. Other CAMS participants include Cheniere, Chevron, Equinor, ExxonMobil, and Pioneer Natural Resources.

CAMS undertakes scientific studies addressing methane emissions along the natural gas value chain, from production through end use. Studies will focus on detection, measurement and quantification of methane emissions with the goal of finding opportunities for reduction. CAMS' first project is to develop an open access oil and gas operations emissions calculator that will estimate methane emissions at a basin level and enable operators to evaluate effectiveness of mitigation strategies. (Source; CAMS, Green Car Congress, 19 Sept., 2019) Contact: Collaboratory for Advancing Methane Science, www.methanecollaboratory.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Methan,  GHG,  Greenhouse Gas,  

WELTEC BIOPOWER
Date: 2019-09-18
Vechta, Germany-headquartered biogas specialist WELTEC BIOPOWER GmbH is reporting completion of a biomethane plant for Brttany, France-based potato chip producer ALTHO. When fully operational, the plant generates roughly 200 standard m3/h of biomethane from potato waste and wastewater sludge.

The plant's potato chip production yields 22,000 tpy of leftovers and sludge. Potato and starch leftovers and other production waste account for about half of the substrate, with the rest is made up of the sludge from the washing process.

Over the last 18 years, WELTEC BIOPOWER has installed and commissioned more than 300 biogas plants in 25 countries, according to the release. (Source: WELTEC BIOPOWER GmbH, PR, 15 Sept., 2019) Contact: WELTEC BIOPOWER GmbH, Ann Borries +49 (0) 4441-999 78-220 presse@weltec-biopower.de, www.weltec-biopower.de

More Low-Carbon Energy News WELTEC BIOPOWER,  Biogas,  

Foundation for Climate Restoration
Date: 2019-09-18
The New York-based not-for-profit Foundation for Climate Restoration (F4CR) ihas released the findings from its first Wite Paper -- Climate Restoration: Solutions to the Greatest Threat Facing Humanity and Nature Today. Key points from the report include:

Current international commitments to limit temperature rise to 2 degree C over pre-industrial conditions would still leave atmospheric CO2 at levels 50 pct higher than humans have ever experienced -- presenting conditions humans are unlikely to survive long-term.

Climate Restoration is possible using both technologies and financing available today.

Climate Restoration solutions must be permanent, scalable and financeable. Examples of solutions that meet these criteria include mineralizing CO2 into synthetic limestone, large-scale restoration of native forests and promoting photosynthesis and healthy fisheries through ocean restoration methods.

Because commercially viable carbon sequestration solutions already exist, the private sector can play a significant role in leading the way toward Climate Restoration. Companies are already buying carbon byproducts and can use their purchasing power to restore the climate if we further raise awareness of products derived from Climate Restoration methods and establish a supportive policy environment.

Download the Climate Restoration: Solutions to the Greatest Threat Facing Humanity and Nature Today White Paper HERE.

Climate Restoration is the global movement to return the Earth's climate systems to the safe and healthy state in which humanity and our natural world evolved. This requires returning atmospheric CO2 to safe levels of less than 300 parts per million (ppm) and restoring sufficient Arctic ice to prevent permafrost melt and the resulting disastrous methane emissions. Over the course of the last 100 years, CO2 levels have already increased by nearly 50 pct, exceeding 415 ppm in 2019, and continue to climb. (Source: Foundation for Climate Restoration , PR, 17 Sept., 2019) Contact: Foundation for Climate Restoration, Rick Parnell, CEO, (347) 741-1503, www.f4cr.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Foundation for Climate Restoration,  Climate Change,  Carbon Emissions ,  

BP
Date: 2019-09-13
London-headquartered oil industry giant BP reports it has installed continuous measurement of methane emissions technology at its existing oil and gas processing projects worldwide and will deploy the technology at all future BP-operations as part of its program to reduce methane emissions.

The methane data generated will help BP identify the largest opportunities to tackle methane emissions, drive efficiency and develop best practice – and is ultimately aimed at delivering and improving on BP’s methane intensity target of 0.2 pct from its upstream operations. In time, the data collected will feed information into an extensive digital cloud network as part of a global integrated approach to reduce both methane and carbon emissions. (Source: BP, World Oil, Sept. 10, 2019)

More Low-Carbon Energy News BP,  Methane,  Greenhouse Gas,  GHG,  

UK National Farmers Union
Date: 2019-09-11
In the UK, according to the National Farmers' Union (UFU) the farming industry creates 10 pct of the UK's emissions but can reduce gases almost completely by 2040 -- a decade ahead of the government's overall zero emissions target -- with its three-part carbon emissions reduction roadmap.

The NFU programs calls for: improved productivity, increasing the number of trees and hedges; growing more "energy" crops, applying farm chemicals more precisely, using satellite technology, capturing methane from manure for power, and others. (Source: UK National Farmers' Union, BBC News, 10 Sept., 2019) Contact: UK National Farmers' Union, Minette Batters, Pres., +44 024 7685 8500, www.nfuonline.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions,  Carbon Neutral,  UK National Farmers Union,  

New Mexico
Date: 2019-08-30
A recently released survey by Washingto, DC-based Greenberg, Quinlan, Rosner Research Inc. for The Majority Institute (TMI) has found that New Mexicans strongly support policies, rules and regulations aimed at cutting methane and climate pollution, as well as transitioning to a 100 pct clean energy economy in New Mexico.

The survey found strong and growing support to reduce methane waste and pollution and the implementation of new methane waste standards statewide as an important part of the boom in Permian Basin development. The survey also found that two-thirds of New Mexico voters want strong limits and the eventual elimination of carbon emissions by 2050. (Source: Majority Institute PR, 29 Aug., 2019) Contact: Majority Institute, 303-586-3176. www. majorityinstitute.com; Greenberg, Quinlan, Rosner Research, 202-478-8330, www.gqrr.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions,  Climate Change,  Methane Emissions,  

EPA
Date: 2019-08-30
The Trump administration reports it will loosen Obama era federal rules on methane, a significant contributor to the world's greenhouse gas emissions. Although shorter-lived than CO2 and is not emitted in as large amounts, methane is roughly 80 times more damaging to the atmosphere than CO2.

The proposed rule will reverse standards enacted under President Barack Obama that require oil and gas operations to install controls on their operations to curb the release of methane at the well head and in their transmission equipment, including pipelines, processing and storage facilities.

Despite EPA estimates the proposed changes would save the oil and natural gas industry between $17 million and $19 million a year, Shell, Exxon, BP and other major fossil fuels players are opposing the proposed rollback and urging the current standards be kept in place. (Source: EPA, Various Media, Wash. Post, 29 Aug., 2019)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Methane,  EPA,  

Dominion Energy, Smithfield Foods,
Date: 2019-08-19
Dominion Energy and Smithfield Foods, Inc. report their joint venture Align Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) project construction is underway in Duplin and Sampson counties, North Carolina. When fully operational, the plant will be the state's largest such facility and will generate sufficient power for than 3,500 homes.

Align RNG is a multi-state JV that will capture methane emissions from hog farms and convert them into RNG to power homes and businesses. The project will include as many as 19 area farms.

This is the first manure-to-energy project to begin construction under Align RNG since the joint venture was announced in late 2018. Additional projects are planned in North Carolina, Utah, and Virginia, and are projected to produce suficient energy to power 14,000 homes and businesses. (Source: Smithfield Foods, PR,Dominion Energ, 15 Aug., 2019) Contact: Dominion Energy, Aaron Ruby, (804) 771-3404, Aaron.F.Ruby@dominionenergy.com, Gary Courts, GM New Bus. Dev., www.DominionEnergy.com; Smithfield Foods,Lisa Martin, (757) 365-1980, lvmartin@smithfield.com, www.smithfieldfoods.com; Align RNG, (833) 658-9396, www.alignrng.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Methane,  Dominion Energy,  Smithfield Foods,  RNG,  Renewable Natural Gas,  

Dominion Energy Virginia
Date: 2019-08-07
In the Old Dominion State, Richmond-based utility holding company Dominion Energy Virginia is reporting four utility-scale battery storage pilot projects totaling 16 megawatts -- the largest projects of their kind in Virginia.

The four proposed Central Virginia-based lithium-ion projects will cost approximately $33 million to construct and will provide key information on distinct use cases for batteries on the energy grid. Pending SCC approval, the pilots would be evaluated over a five year period once operational as currently expected in December 2020. The projects include:

Two battery systems totaling 12 MW at the Scott Solar facility in Powhatan County that will demonstrate how batteries can store energy generated from solar panels during periods of high production and help optimize the power produced by the solar facility.

A 2-MW battery at a substation in Ashland will explore how batteries can improve reliability and save on equipment replacement costs by serving as an alternative to traditional grid management investments such as transformer upgrades, necessary to serve customers during times of high energy demand.

A 2-megawatt battery at a substation in New Kent County serving a 20-MW solar facility will show how batteries can help manage voltage and loading issues caused by reverse energy flow, to maintain grid stability.

Dominion notes it expects to cut generating fleet CO2 emissions 80 pct by 2050 and reduce methane emissions from its gas assets 50 pct by 2030. (Source: Dominion Energy, PR, Aug., 2019) Contact: Dominion Energy, Mark D. Mitchell, vice president – generation construction www.dominionenergy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Dominion Energy Virginia,  Battery Energy Storage,  

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Date: 2019-08-07
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in cooperation with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports it has identified ways to reduce agricultural GHG emissions under various climate conditions using isotopic techniques.

When farmers apply fertilizer to their crops, plants convert the fertilizer into the nutrients the plants need to flourish. Some of the by-products related to these processes are released as GHGs -- nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) -- and the overuse of fertilizer is leading to the release of excessive amounts of GHGs. According to the FAO, agriculture, forestry and other land use make up close to a quarter of GHGs, and the use of synthetic fertilizers accounts for 12 pct of total agriculture GHG emissions.

These gases trap heat in the atmosphere, contributing to global warming and thereby altering the conditions under which food crops grow, affecting not only crop yields, but also food quality and food security. The release of N2O is particularly worrying because it's 300 times more powerful than CO2 in trapping heat, and 16 times more powerful than CH4 and can therefore greatly contribute to climate change mitigation strategies.

Nuclear techniques offer substantial advantages over conventional techniques for measuring GHG emissions. By adding nitrogen fertilizers labelled with stable isotope nitrogen-15 as a tracer, scientists can track the isotopes and determine how effectively the crops are taking up the fertilizer. The isotope is also used to quantify the amount of nitrogen that crops can acquire from the atmosphere through biological nitrogen fixation process.

The carbon-13 stable isotope technique, using the natural abundance of carbon-13 in the environment, allows researchers to evaluate soil quality and sources of carbon sequestered in the soil. This helps identify how various combinations of crop rotation, tillage and ground cover can enhance productivity and improve the efficiency with which increasingly scarce resources, such as water and chemical nutrients, are used. Carbon-13 is tracked to determine the movement and origin of carbon dioxide and methane. (Source: International Atomic Energy Agency, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, 6 Aug., 2019) Contact: UN Food & Agriculture Organization, www.fao.org; International Atomic Energy Agency, www.iaea.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News GHG,  Greenhouse Gas Emissions,  ,  

Mitsui O.S.K.
Date: 2019-08-05
Tokyo-headquartered maritime shipping firm Mitsui O.S.K. (MOL) reports it will focus on reducing its shipping operation CO2 emissions by using synthetic methane as an alternative to current fossil-based bunker fuels.

With the same focus, the company has also joined the Carbon Capture and Reuse (CCR) Study Group which is looking into the implementation of effective carbon neutral measures to reduce the use of fossil fuels by offering alternative energies such as synthetic methane, which is generated by combining CO2 generated by industries with renewable energy-derived hydrogen. (Source: MOL, Bunkerspot, Aug., 2019) Contact: Mitsui O.S.K. (MOL), Junichiro Ikeda, Pres., CEO, www.mol.co.jp/en; Carbon Capture and Reuse Study Group, www.hitachizosen.co.jp/english/release/2016/11/002421.html

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Captureand Reuse,  Mitsui,  Methane,  

Mitsui
Date: 2019-08-05
Tokyo-headquartered maritime shipping firm Mitsui O.S.K. (MOL) reports it will focus on reducing its shipping operation CO2 emissions by using synthetic methane as an alternative to current fossil-based bunker fuels.

With the same focus, the company has also joined the Carbon Capture and Reuse (CCR) Study Group which is looking into the implementation of effective carbon neutral measures to reduce the use of fossil fuels by offering alternative energies such as synthetic methane, which is generated by combining CO2 generated by industries with renewable energy-derived hydrogen. (Source: MOL, Bunkerspot, Aug., 2019) Contact: Mitsui O.S.K. (MOL), Junichiro Ikeda, Pres., CEO, www.mol.co.jp/en; Carbon Capture and Reuse Study Group, www.hitachizosen.co.jp/english/release/2016/11/002421.html

More Low-Carbon Energy News Methane news,  Synthetic Methane news,  Misui news,  Marine Fuel news,  

SocalGas,Calgren
Date: 2019-07-31
SocalGas, the largest natural gas distribution utility in the US, reports the completion of the Calgren dairy renewable natural gas facility in Pixley. The natural gas facility, developed in partnership with Calgren Dairy Fuels, is the first of its kind in California. SocalGas has provided Calgren with a $5 million incentive, authorised by the California PUC to support the project.

Calgren will collect cow manure from four dairy farms and process it using an anaerobic digesters to produce methane emissions which will then be used to produce transportation fuel. The digesters in the Calgren project are partially funded under California's Dairy Digester Research and Development Programme, which aims to reduce GHG emissions from manure generated at state dairy farms. California currently has about 30 operational dairy RNG projects and 50 under development.

A 2016 study by the University of California, Davis found California has the potential to produce approximately 90.6 billion cubic feet (bcf) per year of renewable natural gas from dairy, landfill, municipal solid waste, and wastewater treatment plant sources alone -- sufficient to meet the annual natural gas needs of around 2.3 million California homes. According to the U.S. DOE the U.S. currently produces 1 trillion cubic feet of renewable natural gas every year, and that number is expected to increase to 10 trillion by 2030. (Source: SocalGas, SmartEnergy, 30 July, 2019) Contact: Calgren Renewable Fuels, Walt Dwelle, Principal Owner , Lyle Schlyer, Pres., (559) 757-3850, lschyler@calgren.com, www.calgren.com; Southern California Gas Company, Sharon Tomkins, VP customer solutions and strategy. www.socalgas.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News SocalGas,  Calgren,  anaerobic digester,  RNG,  Renewable Natural Gas,  

Aries Clean Energy
Date: 2019-07-19
Franklin, Tennessee-based Aries Clean Energy -- fka PHG Energy -- is reporting receipt of all required approvals and permits for construction of New Jersey's first biosolids-only gasification facility. The Aries Linden Biosolids Gasification Facility, which will process about 400 tpd of biosolids into clean renewable energy for in-house use and biocharcoal, will be located in a re-purposed building within the Linden Roselle Sewerage Authority (LRSA) complex, 20 miles from Manhattan.

The plant will utilize Aries patented fluidized bed gasification system specifically designed for processing biosolids. (Source: Aries Clean Energy LLC, PR, Cdn. Biomass, 17 July, 2019) Contact: Aries Clean Energy LLC, Gregory Bafalis, CEO, (615) 471-9299, Info@AriesCleanEnergy.com, www.ariescleanenergy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Aries Clean Energy ,  Biosolid,  Biogas,  Biomethane,  

Bright Biomethane
Date: 2019-07-19
In the Netherlands, Enschede-headquartered membrane separation biogas to biomethane upgrading systems specialist Bright Biomethane is reporting the opening of its first North American office in NYC, NY.

Bright Biomethane North America will supply biogas upgrading systems with membrane separation technology for the refining of biogas from biomass to biomethane, and is working on the first five renewable natural gas (RNG) projects, all of which being realized in the Northeast of the U.S. (Source: Bright Biomethane, PR, Cdn. Biomass, Others, June, 2019) Contact: Bright Biomethane, Herman Klein Teeselink, CEO, +31 53 460 9088, info@brightbiomethane.com, www.brightbiomethane.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Bright Biomethane,  Biogas,  Biomethane,  

Climate Change,Global Warming
Date: 2019-07-19
Killer Heat in the United States, a recently released report from the Union of Concerned Scientist predicts a lot more days of extreme heat -- so much that they're being called "killer heat" days. The study was released in part to spur action on the part of both politicians and business leaders.

According to the report, "The United States federal government needs to continue with the (Obama) Clean Power Plan and not dismantle it, as the current (Trump) administration is attempting to do, to significantly reduce emissions from the power sector, which accounts for roughly 40 pct of the U.S. emissions footprint."

The UCS scientists are asking the federal government to not only wean the nation off of fossil fuels, but develop plans for people to adapt to extreme heat. "The clock is ticking to reduce emissions. If nothing is done, we may have to get ready for an unrecognizably hot future" the report says.

To make the needed deep emissions cuts, the reports recommends the U.S. implement a suite of federal and state policies, including: an economy wide price on carbon; policies to cut transportation sector emissions, including increasing fuel economy and heat-trapping emissions standards for vehicles; increased investment in low-carbon public transportation; policies to cut buildings and industrial sector emissions; policies to increase carbon storage in vegetation and soils, including through climate-friendly agricultural and forest management practices; increased investment in emissions and climate change related R&D; measures to cut methane, nitrus oxide, and other major non-CO2 heat-trapping emissions; and policies to help a rapid transition to low-carbon economies.

Download the Killer Heat in the United States -Climate Choices and the Future of Dangerously Hot Days report HERE (Source: Union of Concerned Scientists, wusf Public Media, 18 July, 2019) Contact: Union of Concerned Scientists, Ken Kimmell, Pres., (617) 547-5552,

More Low-Carbon Energy News Union of Concerned Scientists,  Climate Change,  

Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi
Date: 2019-07-15
In UAE, a recently release report from the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) notes that greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) have risen 36.6 pct between 2010 and 2016, an average rise of more than 6 pct per year in Abu Dhabi over the past years.

The report notes that key greenhouse emissions resulting from human activities, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs), were driven by a surge in the demand for water and energy due to the emirate's rapid economic and population growth.

The report projected that sustainable development strategies in the emirate will help to achieve significant reduction in emission indicators by 2030. The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment is currently collaborating with the local authorities to develop a comprehensive inventory map of GHG sources and concentrations across the UAE with the aim of identifying emission hotspots and supporting mitigation actions. (Source: Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, MENAFN - Khaleej Times, 13 July, 2019) Contact: Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, Sheikha Al Hosani, Exec. Dr., Environment Quality Sector, +971 2 693 4444, www.ead.ae/SitePages/home.aspx

More Low-Carbon Energy News GHG,  Climate Change,  COs,  Greenhouse Gas Emissions,  Abu Dhabi,  

New Energy Nexus/California Clean Energy Fund
Date: 2019-07-12
The Keeling Curve Prize is reporting two San Francisco Bay Area organizations -- Opus 12, based in Berkeley, and the Oakland-based New Energy Nexus/California Clean Energy Fund (NEX/CalCEF) -- have been awarded $25,000 apiece for developing promising global warming solutions.

The Keeling Curve Prize recognizes ideas in the areas of Carbon Capture & Utilization (CCU), Energy Access, Transportation, Finance, and Social & Cultural Impacts, that either effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions or increase carbon uptake, according to a June 28 Keeling Curve Prize press release.

The Opus 12 team was one of the Carbon Capture & Utilization winners, and the NEX/CalCEF team was one of the Finance winners. The Opus 12 award-winning device takes CO2 and water and produces high-value chemicals and fuels that are conventionally made with petroleum. The technology diminishes emissions and produces the "critical products that are the building blocks of modern civilization." The process can generate 16 different products, including ethylene, a precursor for most plastics, methane and syngas, according to the Opus 12 website.

The NEX/CalCEF team developed a "qualified clean energy opportunity zoning fund" which supports energy entrepreneurs, according to the Keeling Curve Prize website.

The NEX/CalCEF team developed a "qualified clean energy opportunity zoning fund" which supports energy entrepreneurs, according to the Keeling Curve Prize website. (Source: Keeling Curve Prize, PR, Daily Californian, 11 July, 2019) Contact: New Energy Nexus/California Clean Energy Fund, hello@newenergynexus.com,www.newenergynexus.com; Keeling Curve Prize, Jacquelyn Francis, Dir., director@kcurveprize.org, www.kcurveprize.org; Opus 12, www.opus-12.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News CCU,  CCS,  CO2,  Carbon Dioxide,  Climate Change,  

University of Oxford,
Date: 2019-07-12
In the UK, according to Myles Allen, a professor of Climate Dynamics at the University of Oxford, farming can become completely "climate neutral" if agricultural methane emissions are reduced by just 20 pct over the next 30 years.

Prof. Allen claims UK farmers have been cutting methane emissions by 10 pct every 30 years, through measures such as better slurry storage and application, and didn't need to reach the Government's net-zero by 2050 target to stop, or actually reverse, warming caused by agriculture. This is because when methane is released into the atmosphere, it has a much stronger warming impact than the same amount of CO2, but unlike CO2 or nitrous oxide, which have a constant warming effect even when emissions fall to zero, cutting the amount of methane -- which is far more potent the CO2 -- emitted will actually cause global cooling, Prof. Allen suggests.

Prof Allen contends that cutting agricultural methane emissions to zero over the next 35 years would cause global cooling, taking the industry's contribution to global warming back to the level it was in the 1960s. (Source: University of Oxford, Farmers Guardian, 11 July, 2019) Contact: University of Oxford, Prof. Myles Allen, +44 (0)1865 275895. myles.allen@ouce.ox.ac.uk, www.eci.ox.ac.uk/people/mallen.html

More Low-Carbon Energy News Methane,  Climate Change,  Emissions,  Global Warming,  

Energy Assets Utilities
Date: 2019-07-12
In the UK, Energy Assets Utilities (EAU) is reporting an unnamed biomethane plant near Pontefract in West Yorkshire is set to begin production and to meet the energy needs of around 6,000 homes, thanks to a 3km directionally drilled pipeline installed by EAU. The plant is due to come on stream in October.

The plant's four, 6,800 cubic-meter capacity digester tanks will create methane from chicken litter, food waste and other organic matter produced by local farms. The gas will be purified and fed into the national grid. The gas will also power the site's combined heat and power (CHP) unit, while the digester waste will be turned into fertiliser. (Source: Energy Assets Utilities, Bioenergy Insight, 11 July, 2019) Contact: Energy Assets Utilities, +44 0 1254 819 600, www.energyassets.co.uk

More Low-Carbon Energy News Biogas,  Biomethane,  

Methane,Climate Change
Date: 2019-07-10
In the Land Down Under, researchers from Southern Cross University are reporting their research has revealed that dead mangrove trees released us much as 8 times more of the potent greenhouse gas methane than living mangrove trees. The research was brought about by a recent catastrophic climate-induced coastal mangrove die-back in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

The findings, published in the international journal New Phytologist, have implications for scientific understanding of how mangrove systems sequester "blue carbon" -- CO2 absorbed from the atmosphere and locked up in coastal wetlands such as mangroves. (Source: Southern Cross University, mycg.com.au, 7 July, 2019)Contact: Southern Cross University, Luke Jeffrey, Phd. Candidate, +61 1800 626 481, www.scu.edu.au

More Low-Carbon Energy News Blue Carbon,  Mangrove,  Climate Change,  Methane,  

OGCI Climate Investments
Date: 2019-07-03
In the UK, Teesside's Clean Gas project on the former SSI steelworks site could become the world's first gas-powered energy plant using carbon capture and storage (CCS)technology at scale with £3.8 million in funding from the federal government. The £18 million project was announced in November by OGCI Climate Investments.

Phase one is a huge power plant, which will run on natural clean gas and could be operational as early as 2024 or 2025. Construction is slated to get underway in 2020.

The UK Government has laid out plans for the UK to be a world-leader in the field of CCS, with its Clean Growth Strategy and last November's CCUS Action Plan.

OGCI companies set a target to reduce the collective average methane intensity of our aggregated upstream gas and oil operations to below 0.25 pct by 2025, with the ambition to achieve 0.20 pct. Starting from a baseline of 0.32 pct in 2017, reaching the 0.20 pct target would translate into greatly reducing our collective methane emissions by more than one-third -- approximately 600,000 tpy of methane -- by the end of 2025, according the OGCI website. (Source: Teeside Live, 27 June, 2019) Contact: OGCI Climate Investments, contact@climateinvestments.energy, www.oilandgasclimateinitiative.com/climate-investments

More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS,  OGCI Climate Investments ,  

Landfill Methane
Date: 2019-07-01
In the Show Me State, the Neosho NEOSHO Newton/McDonald County Landfill reports it is seeking a purchaser for methane - landfill gas from its 1972 vintage landfill which was capped and closed in 1996.

The landfill's previous customer was USA Metal Recycling which used the excess methane as a fuel source for melting metals. A new buyer would also extend the board's ability to maintain the landfill. Revenue from methane sales was reinvested back into the landfill's operation, but that budgetis expected run dry in about seven years. (Source: Newton/McDonald County Landfill, Joplin Globe, 29 June, 2019) Contact: Newton/McDonald County Landfill, Bill Lant, Commissioner, https://dnr.mo.gov/env/swmp/swmd/distm.htm

More Low-Carbon Energy News Landfill Methane,