Drawdown Georgia Business Compact Spotlights New Report and New Tools for Renewable Natural Gas in December Stakeholder Meeting
The Compact’s Renewable Natural Gas Working Group learns key findings from the RNG Georgia Market Mobilization Report, hears from industry experts on accelerating RNG adoption, and explores interactive GIS map of RNG resources
In December, the Drawdown Georgia Business Compact (Compact) brought together key stakeholders for an in-person gathering at Southface Institute to address renewable natural gas (RNG) in Georgia. At the meeting, the Compact presented findings from the recent RNG Georgia Market Mobilization Report, which explores key challenges and actionable strategies for the RNG industry in the state.
The report outlines a goal of identifying viable options for Compact members and other committed companies to offset carbon emissions associated with natural gas, while stimulating and expanding the Georgia RNG market. Georgia does not have any natural gas production itself, but the state meets its natural gas needs through pipeline imports from other states. However, there are growing opportunities for development.
“Capturing escaped methane emissions and converting ‘waste to energy’ both have powerful appeal,” says David Eady, director of industry engagement for the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business. “Biogas and RNG potentially offer Compact members a way to address Scope 1 emissions without the need for significant equipment upgrades. But biogas and RNG projects do face real challenges, most often related to geography and economics.”
That’s why the Compact partnered with the Georgia Tech Center for Spatial Planning Analytics and Visualization to develop and design the RNG and Biogas Mapping Tool – to aggregate information on the availability of biogas and RNG resources and explore cost-effective ways to generate renewable natural gas to replace or offset current natural gas use in industry and mobility. Companies can use the tool to see what resources currently exist and where they are located in relation to their respective facilities. This information could lead to brokered conversations with the owners of these resources and project developers that can leverage the opportunity.
To continue exploring the latest energy sector progress, working group meetings like the one in December include insights from industry leaders who provide the latest data and developments to inform greenhouse gas goals. At the December meeting, attendees heard presentations from Earnell Kelly at Southern Company Gas and Sumner Pomeroy at Clean Cities Georgia, on strategies to accelerate RNG adoption and deployment. Kelly shared that requests to interconnect with the natural gas distribution network serve as an indication of movement in the RNG market. He also emphasized that there is not a shortage of opportunity in Georgia based on available resources.
“We brought together key stakeholders in the RNG space to highlight opportunities and challenges within Georgia’s RNG market,” according to Allison Bridges, program manager for the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business. “We want to support Compact members and the industry at large as they begin developing a strategic pathway to maximize the potential of RNG as a sustainable and economically viable energy source.”
Capturing methane offers significant economic and business opportunities by transforming a potent greenhouse gas into valuable energy resources such as biogas and renewable natural gas, enabling companies to reduce emissions, create new revenue streams, improve operational efficiency, and gain a competitive edge in a sustainability-focused global economy.
Stay tuned for the latest developments on the Renewable Natural Gas Working Group and how the Compact is facilitating cooperative efforts to stimulate and expand the Georgia RNG market.
If you are interested in science-based decarbonization strategies for Georgia, email David Eady, director of industry engagement for the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business. Are you a business leader in the state committed to sustainable solutions? Join other leading companies leveraging the collective impact of the Georgia business community to achieve net zero carbon emissions in the state.