BIOGAS AMERICAS ARCHIVE
Keynote Panel: The Future of Biogas
Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2022 Time: 8:00 am - 9:15 am PT
Will the 42% growth in new RNG projects we saw in 2021 continue? What’s driving the new near $1 billion investments individual companies are making? And while most are talking about dairy and swine manure right now, why do some think that food waste will be the next sector to see double digit growth? This panel will tackle these questions and more as we take stock in where the industry is right now and what lies ahead, influenced by policy, new investments, and new customers entering the biogas and RNG industry.
- Patrick Serfass, American Biogas Council [Moderator]
- Randy Beck, Waste Management
- John Dannan, Generate Capital
- Gopi Sandhu, Nestle Purina North America*
Barnyard Executives: Next Biogas Opportunities in Agriculture
Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2022 Time: 9:30 am - 10:45 am PT
From the biogas industry perspective, opportunity for new biogas/RNG systems abound on America’s farms. But how do farmers view these opportunities today? What does our agriculture industry need from the biogas industry to reach the economic and sustainability goals each has? Where are the biggest pain points for American farmers and can biogas systems help? Sarah Brown, who recently left the American Farm Bureau to join ABC member Nacelle Solutions, will moderate this lively discussion with our barnyard executives—leaders across agriculture.
- Sarah Brown, Nacelle [Moderator]
- Matt Newsom, Smithfield
- Mary-Thomas Hart, National Cattlemen's Beef Association
- Michael Boccadoro, West Coast Advisors
Effectively Monetizing Dairy Sustainability
Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2022 Time: 11:00 am - 12:15 pm PT
How are farmers tackling sustainability and how do biogas systems fit in? That’s the question our agriculture leaders will discuss in this session. Addressing sustainability is a mix of managing farm operations, navigating policy and packaging these elements to best take care of the land from which food products need to be grown. In this context, our speakers will share how biogas systems fit it in and whether they’re viewed as an essential element or one of many tools in the sustainable agriculture toolkit.
- Mark Stoermann, Newtrient, LLC [Moderator]
- Marie Cain, Threemile Canyon Farms
- Andy Dvoracek, Amp Americas
Solving Sand: New Ways to Access 4,000 New Farms
Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2022 Time: 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm PT
One of the greatest challenges in digester development and operations is sand. The inability to separate sand can kill a project before it’s even designed. Sand is a preferred bedding material for dairy farmers to control disease and keep cows comfortable to produce more milk—but it wears down equipment quickly and sinks to the bottom of digester, mucking up mixing and taking up space, which greatly reduces biogas projection. Can industry engineer a solution to this issue for farms that don’t want to switch from sand to sawdust?
- Bernie Sheff , Montrose Environmental Group [Moderator]
- Tom Ferencevic , Fitec Environmental Technologies Inc.
- Mark Stoermann, Newtrient, LLC
- James Kyzar, Montrose Environmental Group
P3 Partnerships at Wastewater Resource Recovery Facilities
Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2022 Time: 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm PT
It’s widely believed that to manage adding food waste to a public wastewater digester and take advantage of federal tax credits, public-private partnerships are one of the best tools available to the municipal wastewater sector. In this session, we’ll share some example projects where the P3 approach has worked well—and where it hasn’t. Let’s figure out the structural part so more municipalities can build digesters and more food waste gets recycled.
- Dave Lindenmuth, Eco Engineers [Moderator]
- David Baran, Energy Power Partners
- Yaniv Scherson, Anaergia
- Jeff Van Voorhis, Symbiont Engineering & Science
Food Waste RNG to Position for the Future?
Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2022 Time: 10:00 am - 11:15 am PT
Today, most folks talking about RNG are thinking about dairies and hog operations. But more and more, industry is looking to food waste as the next large opportunity for RNG project development. Why? And when do we think this will happen? Is the transition from a dominant focus on manure to food waste already happening? These speakers have the answers.
- Tony Hack , Generate Capital [Moderator]
- Shawn Kreloff, Bioenergy Devco
- Chris Maloney , Entsorga
- Maureen Walsh , American Biogas Council
Will New Carbon Accounting Change RNG/CHP Project Development?
Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2022 Time: 11:30 am - 12:45 pm PT
For many, the carbon intensity of a biogas or RNG project is the key determinant to whether a project should be built. Argonne’s GREET model is widely accepted for counting emissions for transportation projects. But some states are making their own versions, raising the question of how they differ. Plus, how can utilities and utility commissioners count the emissions from non-transportation sources like renewable heat? This session’s experts are on the leading edge and offer some of the best views on how the industry may change and what changes are needed.
- Dave Lindenmuth, Eco Engineers [Moderator]
- Erica Larson , ICF
- Mary Moerlins , NW Natural
- Nate Taylor, SoCalGas
- Philip Sheehy, ICF
Hydrogen Production from Biogas & Market Potential
Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2022 Time: 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm PT
Hydrogen, hydrogen, hydrogen. What’s all the talk about? Sure, renewable hydrogen can be made from biogas, but how? How much does biogas need to be conditioned to be ready for hydrogen production? And how do you determine if it makes economic sense to make hydrogen rather than RNG or electricity? Our experts in gas upgrading and hydrogen production will talk about the growing opportunities and whether the market potential is national or limited to California for now.
- Charles Love, Trillium Energy [Moderator]
- Tanya Peacock , Bloom Energy
- Cinch Munson, Oberon Fuels
- Jeff Harrington, Air Liquide
- Matt Gregori, SoCalGas
Who's Buying Hydrogen? And How Much?
Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2022 Time: 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm PT
Now that the previous session has piqued your interest in producing hydrogen from biogas or RNG, what markets are available today? Who will buy your hydrogen and how much demand is there? This session will outline today’s hydrogen markets mostly likely to drive new hydrogen demand from biogas, plus the role current and pending federal and state policy can play.
- Emanuel Wagner, Palamedes Strategies [Moderator]
- Senator Pat Spearman, Nevada State Senate
- Omar Gonzalez, Nikola Motors
- Stewart Stewart, BayoTech
- Roxana Bekemohammadi, United States Hydrogen Alliance
Policy Crystal Ball: Tax Credits, RFS Reset, eRINs, D3/D5 Split, and State
Date: Wednesday, May 25, 2022 Time: 9:30 am - 10:45 am PT
Need to get up to speed quickly on the policy changes that will have the biggest impact on the biogas industry this year? This is your session. The American Biogas Council (ABC) gets asked to speak on this topic more often than any other—and usually only shares our policy intelligence with members. Not only will you get the latest updates, which in May will be especially timely, but you’ll get them from the best policy experts in the industry. Gain the knowledge you need to position your company for growth.
- Maureen Walsh , American Biogas Council [Moderator]
- Carrie Annand , Biomass Power Association
- Shelby Dyl, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
- Gaurav Parikh , American Biogas Council
LCFS Policy: What's Next in the States and Canada?
Date: Wednesday, May 25, 2022 Time: 11:00 am - 12:15 pm PT
It’s no secret that the Low Carbon Fuel Standard in California drives growth in the biogas and RNG sector more than any other policy due to its technology-neutral approach to reducing carbon emissions in transportation—an area where biogas electricity and RNG excels. Clean Fuel Standard policy has caught on in other states like Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, New York, Minnesota and Nebraska, as well as Canada. Which states will develop their CFS policy next? How will markets grow? And will Canada really be “the next California” as its Clean Fuel Standard takes effect in 2023?
- Gaurav Parikh , American Biogas Council [Moderator]
- Jennifer Green , Canadian Biogas Association
- Graham Noyes , Low Carbon Fuels Coalition
- Mariem Zaghdoudi, Great Plains Institute
Will eLCFS/eRINs Boom the Electricity Generating Market?
Date: Wednesday, May 25, 2022 Time: 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm PT
Electricity projects have struggled to develop since the trifecta of reduced tax credit certainty, crashing national electricity costs due to cheap fracked natural gas and the improvement of RNG policy. But the EPA issuing guidance on eRINs this year to allow renewable electricity projects from biogas to generate new revenue could dramatically change the status quo. But how? When? What should developers and current electricity project owners do to take advantage?
- Brad Pleima , EcoEngineers [Moderator]
- John Thornton , CleanFuture, Inc.
- Ross Buckenham , California Bioenergy LLC
- Michael Lemon , BTR Energy
How to Use CA's SB1383 for Food Waste Projects
Date: Wednesday, May 25, 2022 Time: 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm PT
California is one of nine U.S. states with a policy to encourage the recycling of organics. CA’s Short-Lived Climate Pollutants law, SB1383, requiring reductions in SLCPs from dairy cattle and landfills, was enacted in 2016 but its regulations governing the diversion of organics from landfills only went into effect in January of this year. Therefore, the early changes to the state’s waste management industry are just beginning. How will CA’s new law really impact the waste industry and the outlook for food waste project development? This session’s experts are following the events more closely than anyone else and will share what’s happening now and how you can position your business to take advantage.
- Nathalie Hoffman , LCFS Consulting Services, Inc. [Moderator]
- John Dannan, Generate Capital
- Sean Wine, Clean Energy Renewable Fuels
- Julia Levin , Bioenergy Association of California
5 Secrets to Making Voluntary RNG Sales
Date: Wednesday, May 25, 2022 Time: 10:00 am - 11:15 am PT
The majority of the contracts for the largest public RNG company are in the voluntary market, not the California LCFS. Why? Voluntary contracts usually have longer terms, and more predictable pricing attracts investors. But there’s more to it than that. Learn from the experts who know the key elements to structuring successful voluntary RNG sales.
- Sean Wine , Clean Energy Renewable Fuels [Moderator]
- Brian McCarthy , Archaea Energy
- Chip Wood , Center for Resource Solutions (CRS)
- Ben Gerber , M-RETS: The Midwest Renewable Energy Tracking System, Inc.
Benefits of Boosting Soil Health with Digestate
Date: Wednesday, May 25, 2022 Time: 11:30 am - 12:45 pm PT
Can soil health benefits drive biogas project revenue? Air benefits already are, using California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard. And soil health is arguably even more important because it impacts the productivity of agriculture, protects against flooding and drought, and even helps to improve air emissions. Learn in which scenarios soil health can drive project development—including in urban South Chicago—and how you can capitalize with your next biogas system.
- Bryan Sievers , Sievers Family Farms [Moderator]
- Bobby Levine , Digested Organics
- Stankley Janicki, Sedron Technologies
- Paul Greene, GreeneTec, LLC
Technology: New Approaches to Biogas Upgrading
Date: Wednesday, May 25, 2022 Time: 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm PT
Membrane or PSA? Do I need activated carbon, sulfatreat or biofiltration? What about iron sponges and silica gel, or water wash versus amine scrubbers? Do I prioritize low operating expenses or shrinking my upfront capital costs? There are so many choices for biogas upgrading technology, and the technology is still changing. This session will dive into what’s new in upgrading tech and the guidance you should use to make these decisions for your next project. Spoiler: There won’t be one right answer!
- Dan Waineo , Montrose Environmental Group [Moderator]
- Jason Roe , EcoVapor Recovery Systems
- Caroline Limbaugh, DMT Clear Gas Solutions
- Brent Jacklin, Greenlane Biogas
- Tamara Siskind , Wartsila
Global Supply Chain Strain on Biogas/RNG Development
Date: Wednesday, May 25, 2022 Time: 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm PT
The combination of a global pandemic and double digit growth, especially in the RNG sector, has resulted in supply chain stress. Supply chain issues have not just impacted developers, they’ve also impacted equipment providers in many industries and the biogas and RNG sector is not immune —stainless steel, carbon steel, HDPE and other plastics, membranes, compressors, etc. Where have global markets impacted biogas/RNG supply chains the most? And more importantly, what can be done to address them?
- Randy Beck , Waste Management [Moderator]
- Amir Ghasdi, Xebec
- Josh Hull, Morrow Energy
- Dennis Doody, Emerson/Vilter
- Chip Stoicovy, Air Liquide
How to Reach Net-Zero in a US Gas Pipeline System
Date: Thursday, May 26, 2022 Time: 9:30 am - 10:45 am PT
How will the U.S. gas grid reach net-zero? How long will it take? How much RNG will be needed? Industry and environmentalists alike want the answers to these questions, and thanks to the American Gas Association and ICF consulting, we now have some answers. In a sweeping study of RNG, low-carbon gas, technology including carbon capture and even gas demand reductions, learn how we can not only get to net-zero gas but individual utilities can be a part of the solution.
- Rick Murphy, American Gas Association [Moderator]
- Tom Murray , VGS
- Heather Dziedzic, Consumers Energy
- Mary Moerlins, NW Natural
What Can the Oil/Gas Industry Teach Biogas/RNG Developers?
Date: Thursday, May 26, 2022 Time: 11:00 am - 12:15 pm PT
With the biogas and RNG industry’s emphasis on renewable energy and environmental sustainability, many people are focused on transitioning away from fossil fuels. But there’s much to be learned about transporting fuels, building better pipelines to eliminate leaks and even methane detection. What do those who have built their careers in oil and gas see as the biggest opportunities and improvements necessary to make the biogas and RNG industry operate more efficiently and profitably?
- Davey Schmitt, Strategy Engineering and Consulting LLC [Moderator]
- Josh Plumaj , TC Energy
- Andrew Aubrey , SeekOps
- Joseph Hedges, EcoVapor
How Did Denmark Inspire Biogas Growth?
Date: Thursday, May 26, 2022 Time: 10:00 am - 11:15 am PT
Biogas and RNG have grown immensely in Denmark, with RNG currently making up more than 25% of the natural gas grid. This session highlights how Denmark achieved this impressive growth and how the U.S. could follow this path to meet climate, renewable energy and environmental goals. It also explores other topics, including financing options and how this has contributed to successful projects; key policy developments and programs that have supported the biogas market; the role of methane in advancing biogas; and technology and business model innovations.
- Claus Gunge Ellegaard Mortensen , Biogas Go Global (Food & BioCluster Denmark)
- Cecilie Sorensen , Danish Trade Council of North America
- Simon Crook, Nature Energy
- Lise Skovsgaard , Centre for Utilities and Supply
Fundamentals of a Bankable RNG Project
Date: Thursday, May 26, 2022 Time: 11:30 am - 12:45 pm PT
An RNG project is no good if you don’t have the capital to build and maintain it. So, for those of us who aren’t independently wealthy or already have our own SPAC, let’s make sure we’ve got the fundamentals of a bankable RNG project down. And in case you already learned this a year or two ago, you might want to join in, since the way investors are making decisions today has evolved, along with the industry. A few minutes in a conference session might save you a big chunk of money—or help you attract someone with one.
- Todd Taylor , Avisen Legal [Moderator]
- Max Vernier , Live Oak Bank
- Mike Land , Baker Tilly
- Les Krone
- Jonathan Kusowski , Brown and Caldwell
Ukraine’s Impact on LNG and the US RNG Market
Date: Thursday, May 26, 2022 Time: 1:45 pm - 3:00 pm PT
The war in Ukraine has upended the Biden Administration’s climate-first agenda and revived Cold War era energy security considerations. Against this backdrop, the US-EU Joint Task Force was established to export US LNG to Europe and help wean the continent off Russian gas. Under it, the US has committed to exporting an additional 15 bcm of LNG to Europe this year, with three times as much by 2030. Given the current insufficiency of US natural gas supply, can US RNG step up to the plate and help meet the new demand? The panel will discuss the new state of play from the perspectives of various players in the RNG to LNG supply chain, including the point person for the Joint Task Force, landfill RNG producers, port terminal developers/operators, LNG infrastructure investors and policymakers.
- Frank Maisano, Bracewell LLP [Moderator]
- Brian McCarthy, Archaea Energy
- Max Gruenig, E3G