Virginia Natural Gas completes first renewable natural gas transaction for customers

Resulting emissions reductions are estimated to be equivalent to the carbon sequestered by more than 10,000 acres of US forests for one year

Virginia Beach, VA. – January 10, 2024 – Virginia Natural Gas has entered into renewable natural gas agreements that will increase access to clean, safe, reliable and affordable fuel. The emissions reductions from this transaction, the first of its kind for VNG, are estimated to be equivalent to the carbon sequestered by more than 10,000 acres of US forests (7,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, known as CO2e).

The deal involves acquiring environmental attributes – credit for the environmental benefits of a project – from a wastewater facility in Nebraska and an agricultural co-digestion facility in Indiana. The estimated cost impact to customers is only about $0.37/month, or less than $5.00 for the year.

“Virginia Natural Gas has been a leader in greenhouse gas emissions reductions through pipeline replacement programs, Next Generation Natural Gas purchases and end-user options. RNG is yet another critical piece of the puzzle to support emissions reductions for the benefit of our customers,” stated VNG President and CEO, Robert Duvall.

RNG is a sustainable and alternative fuel produced from naturally occurring methane emitted primarily from landfill, agricultural, wastewater and food waste sites. Capturing this biogas at the source before it is emitted into the atmosphere reduces the amount of GHG emissions contributing to the warming of the planet. It is a sustainable and reliable energy source that is compatible with existing infrastructure and appliances. Depending on the source, it can be carbon neutral or even carbon negative.

This transaction is made possible by the passage of the Energy Innovation Act and the Sustainable Gas Program which was approved by the Virginia State Corporation Commission that allows and encourages the production and delivery of RNG. The program supports the procurement of RNG for VNG’s customers and collects information on the benefits of RNG to customers, the company, the environment and the economic development of Virginia. This agreement represents the progress of the utility’s commitment to mitigate GHG emissions while continuing to provide customers with clean, safe, reliable and affordable fuel.

Virginia Natural Gas is committed to bettering the environment and helping communities thrive. The sustainable gas program and this transaction help do that by bringing sustainable, clean RNG to the marketplace. The company is pursuing RNG as part of its drive toward transformational innovation and a net-zero GHG emissions future. This RNG transaction supports VNG’s economy-wide decarbonization efforts across the natural gas value chain. In addition, VNG has a goal to achieve net-zero GHG emissions from its operations by 2050.