Page 4 - Piedmont_Spring_2022

naturalNews

(continued from page 03) equipment use an electronic spark ignition, rather than a continuously
Modern natural gas ranges, ovens, cooktops and grills, for example, burning pilot. This saves an additional 30% on energy costs and mini-
feature high efficiency and reliability as well as easy cleaning. And it mizes the emissions emanating from home appliances.
costs about half as much to cook with a natural gas range as with a The American Gas Association (AGA) reports that natural gas cus-
similar electric range. Many of the new models of natural gas-cooking tomers could save up to 67% this winter compared to customers using
The fuTure iS now: rnG could Be The MoST reliaBle and coST-effecTiVe renewaBle enerGy Source

With renewable resources playing a big part in the of, traditional natural gas.
nation’s energy future, attention is turning to how RNG can be transported directly to homes and busi-
Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) will help achieve critical nesses using the existing natural gas infrastructure.
objectives of a clean energy economy. Those include re- It is carbon neutral and versatile. RNG can be used in
ducing greenhouse gas emissions, creating sustainable homes and businesses, in manufacturing and heavy
jobs and increasing the diversity of the energy supply. industries without the need to modify pipelines or
At its full potential, RNG could well be the most reliable equipment. It is also suitable for electricity production
and the most cost-effective renewable energy source. and as an alternative fuel for transportation.
RNG is a pipeline-quality gas that is fully inter- The environmental benefits of RNG include:
changeable with conventional natural gas. • Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG): As
This ultra-clean and ultra-low carbon natural gas RNG comes from animal waste and other biomass
alternative is produced when organic waste breaks sources, the small amount of GHGs released are
down and emits methane gas, called biogas, which about 21 times less potent than methane released di-
can be processed and blended with, or used in place rectly into the atmosphere. In effect, RNG represents
the recycling of carbon
Courtesy of the environmental ProteCtion agenCy fossil fuel represents the
that is already circulat-
ing in the environment,
whereas burning a

release of new carbon
emissions that were
previously sequestered
in the earth.
• Improved waste
management. Collect-
ing and processing
animal waste from
agricultural activities
prevents run-off into
local waterways and
reduces groundwater
contamination.
Numerous utilities
have realized the bene-
fits of using and promot-
ing RNG to customers to

04 naturalliving ❙ Spring - Summer 2022