NYC Councilmembers Fight for RNG as Transportation Fuel

by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) In a joint letter, New York City councilmembers are urging Mayor Bill de Blasio to “show environmental leadership” by encouraging the adoption of renewable natural gas (RNG) as a transportation fuel.

Specifically, they encourage the use of biomethane fuel, RNG made from organic waste. Twelve members of the city council’s progressive caucus signed the June 19 letter, which says, “Ultra-low-emissions biomethane could be used both by NYC’s surface transit and in our city fleets, further aligning the city’s procurement practices with our climate and clean air goals.”

“In terms of surface transit, this ultra-low-carbon fuel, which can be used in any compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle, should be explored for the hundreds of CNG buses already in the NYC [transit] fleet,” the letter argues. “For city fleets, far too many agency vehicles are reliant on polluting diesel fuel. Swiftly transitioning to CNG-capable vehicles that can use biomethane would enable these fleets to reduce their greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions by 70 percent or more relative to diesel. The Department of Sanitation, for instance, currently operates 42 CNG refuse trucks, all of which could be powered by ultra-low-carbon biomethane.”

Last month, Energy Vision issued a report finding that a continued reliance on diesel for municipal heavy-duty vehicles would prevent the city from reaching those goals and that RNG offers, by far, the best fuel alternative for heavy-duty vehicles.