GHG Emissions, Utilities, Sourcing Renewables  -  December 31, 2019

New Jersey Natural Gas offsets emissions with natural gas credits

New Jersey Natural Gas announced Dec. 18 that it has offset the emissions from its facility and fleet use of natural gas with renewable energy through Renewable Natural Gas Attributes, RECs generated from the production of Renewable Natural Gas.

The RNG attributes offset in a similar way RECs do with wind and solar. The ultra-clean fuel product that is sourced primarily from methane derived from the decomposition of organic sources such as food waste, landfills, dairy farm by-products or wastewater treatment plants is generated in facilities that assign credits that can be bought or sold to support compliance with emissions reduction goals, while providing revenue sources to producers.

“This is an important achievement for our company that builds on our commitment to innovation, sustainability and environmental responsibility,” Steve Westhoven, President and CEO of New Jersey Resources, the parent company of New Jersey Natural Gas, said in a statement. “As New Jersey Resources continues to lead the way in reducing emissions to meet New Jersey’s clean energy goals, this investment highlights the clean, renewable benefits of RNG, and the potential of future in-state RNG generation projects to lower emissions and create clean energy jobs right here in New Jersey.”

New Jersey Natural Gas expects that the volume of emissions offset will be the equivalent of supplying the natural gas needs of more than 400 homes for a year. 

In the past year, New Jersey Resources became the first diversified energy company in New Jersey to offer Green Bonds to fund clean energy investments. The bonds totaled $150 million and resulted in the installation of 50 MW of solar capacity across six commercial solar sites.