RNG facilities operating in North America Total 433

The Renewable Natural Gas Coalition (RNG Coalition) has reached a milestone in the growth of the renewable natural gas industry, with 433 facilities now operating in North America. This achievement represents a significant jump from just one year ago, when the North American RNG industry celebrated the establishment of 300 facilities, a 44% increase in just one year.

“This is a significant milestone in our mission and Sustainable Methane Mitigation and Recycling (SMART) Roadmap,” said RNG Coalition Founder and CEO Johannes Escudero. “We are proud of what our organization and industry have accomplished together, but our focus is on the next benchmark and the even broader adoption of RNG by the energy sector as a key part of our society’s transition to a cleaner, more sustainable future.”

While technological advances and growing demand for low-carbon energy solutions have fueled this recent growth, expanding policy support remains a key goal for the RNG industry, which aims to deploy 500 facilities by 2025, 1,000 by 2030 and 5,000 by 2040.

One notable example of encouraging policy development is New Mexico’s recently launched Clean Fuel Standard (CFS) program, which aims to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels. The CFS program follows similar programs successfully implemented in California, Oregon, and Washington by providing a framework for RNG projects to expand by creating market incentives for low-carbon fuels that replace dirty diesel and other fossil fuels.

Dairy farm-to-RNG projects are another key factor in the recent surge in plants. Agricultural waste now accounts for 24% of all feedstock used to produce RNG, a new all-time high and up from 17% of all feedstock a year ago. California’s progress toward reducing methane emissions, including through its Low Carbon Fuel Standard program, has helped encourage methane capture on farms across the state, and more than 100 state farm facilities are now connected to operational RNG infrastructure.

As the RNG Coalition celebrates this milestone, the organization remains committed to supporting the continued growth and development of the industry. In addition to the facilities currently in operation, 436 facilities are in various stages of planning or construction.