Dive Brief:
- The National Waste & Recycling Association is pleased with the outcome of a decision made by the EPA on July 2 to publish a rule that considers additional fuels cellulosic biofuel; this includes landfill gas.
- The rule is intended to support the biofuel industry, leading to more landfill gas projects and increasing the value of methane.
- The EPA will allow renewable fuels and electricity made from biogas at landfills, wastewater sludge and manure to propagate cellulosic renewable fuel credits. Compressed natural gas and separated municipal solid waste digesters will also qualify under the new rule.
Dive Insight:
Sharon Kneiss, president and CEO of the NW&RA said the EPA's decision "advances the agency's goal of increasing the amount of biofuels available to the fuel industry and provides incentives for the further development of landfill gas to energy projects. With the changes from this new rule, the landfill biogas market has a more valuable product."
Renewable fuel credits, or "renewable identification numbers" (RIN), are publicly-traded via an exchange moderated by the EPA.