California Energy Commission Invests in Higher Efficiency Natural Gas Projects

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved $4.3 million in grants for projects to increase the efficiency of natural gas technology in a variety of applications, including natural gas engine technology for heavy duty vehicles and a renewable natural gas (RNG) project.

The Gas Technology Institute (GTI) received a $1 million grant to develop and demonstrate an advanced natural gas engine to be installed in 18 vehicles that include delivery trucks and school buses. The engine will help improve air quality in Southern California. GTI also received two grants totaling nearly $2 million to demonstrate new waste heat recovery systems for industrial furnaces and steam boilers.

The City of Petaluma received a $3 million grant to design and operate an anaerobic digestion system to produce 150,000 GGEs of RNG from food and beverage waste and use the gas to fuel refuse trucks. The goal is to recycle waste and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.