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FortisBC resurrects renewable natural gas program after securing new supply

Program paused in 2019, leaving 10,000 subscribers out of luck
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FortisBC says it’s reopening the renewable natural gas (RNG) program to its natural gas customers on Oct. 15.

The company says it has secured new RNG supply in order to provide customers with a “carbon-neutral energy option.”

"Demand for RNG is still growing with over 350 customers on a wait list to sign on, and we are pleased to offer this program again as a way for them to reduce their carbon footprint now and in the future," said Jason Wolfe, director of energy solutions, FortisBC, in a statement.

When bacteria breaks down organic waste from sources such as landfill sites, agricultural waste and wastewater from treatment facilities, it produces a biogas mostly made of methane, said the company.

“FortisBC captures and purifies this biogas to create RNG, a certified carbon neutral energy source, preventing the release of methane into the environment,” said a news release. “As RNG mixes seamlessly into the existing natural gas infrastructure, it displaces equivalent volumes of conventional natural gas and lowers greenhouse gas emissions overall.”

FortisBC first started its RNG program in 2011, but as more customers signed on for it, demand for RNG outpaced supply in late 2019 and the program was temporarily paused with around 10,000 customers subscribed to the program.