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The goal of California-based Pacific Gas and Electric Corp. (PG&E) to have renewable natural gas (RNG) make up 15% of its core throughput is gaining steam as the utility has completed an interconnection to the transmission system. 

Natural gas and electric utility PG&E Co. and renewable fuels producer Aemetis Inc. recently cut the ribbon for a gas clean up and injection hub in Keyes, CA, capable of delivering RNG to the utility’s natural gas pipeline. 

“The Aemetis Biogas Central Dairy Digester consists of a pipeline connecting a central RNG clean up and injection hub to a network of dairy digesters,” Aemetis CFO Todd Waltz told NGI. “To date, we have announced the completion of three of the dairy digesters, along with the completion of 20 miles of pipeline.” 

While five additional dairy digesters and another 20 miles of pipeline are expected to be completed by the end of the year, Aemetis is “completing the final tests of the facility that will allow for injection into the Northern California PG&E pipeline for delivery to customers,” Waltz said. 

By the end of 2023, PG&E expects to have received about 2.45 Bcf/year, a company spokesperson told NGI. 

Production at the Keyes facility is expected to increase through 2026, as Aemetis is planning to build 60-plus dairy digesters, Waltz said. Once fully built out, the digesters could capture more than 1.6 MMBtu/y of dairy cow methane. 

The RNG from the Aemetis facility is expected to be directed to PG&E, with compressed natural gas (CNG) customers the potential beneficiaries, according to a utility spokesperson. 

By the end of 2023, PG&E projects it could have RNG make up about 3% of its daily system throughput, according to the recent 2022 Climate Strategy Report (CSR). The utility is aiming to have a minimum of 27 Bcf/y of RNG in its system, or 15% of its total gas throughput, by 2030. 

According to the CSR, RNG could supply PG&E customers interested in converting vehicle fleets to CNG from diesel. 

“Our ability to fuel trucks with negative carbon intensity RNG will contribute to California’s goal of carbon neutrality and will reduce transportation air pollution created by diesel emissions,” said Aemetis CEO Eric McAfee. 

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The CSR details PG&E’s plan to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, which includes converting industrial and commercial customers who are unable to electrify from other fuels to natural gas. 

The company is also preparing to blend hydrogen into its system by 2030. PG&E has partnered with the Northern California Power Agency, Siemens Energy, the City of Lodi, GHD Inc. and the University of California at Riverside to study levels of hydrogen in an independent natural gas pipeline system. 

PG&E serves more than 16 million natural gas and electric customers across Northern and Central California. 

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Related topics: Pg&E Renewable Natural Gas Rng

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