Renewable Natural Gas Breaking Motor Fuel Usage Records

Washington, DC – The Transport Project (TTP) and Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition) today announced that 79 percent of all on-road fuel used in natural gas vehicles in calendar year 2023 was renewable natural gas (RNG), surpassing the previous year’s record-breaking level.

Captured above ground from organic material in agricultural, wastewater, landfill, or food waste, RNG can produce carbon-negative results when fueling on-road vehicles like short- and long-haul trucks, transit buses, and refuse and recycling collection vehicles. California Air Resources Board data confirms that the annual average carbon intensity (CI) value of California’s bio-CNG vehicle fuel portfolio in its Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program for the first three quarters of 2023 was carbon negative and below zero at -118.85 gCO2e/MJ.¹

RNG use as a transportation fuel grew 16 percent over 2022 volumes, up 92 percent from 2019 levels. TTP and RNG Coalition report that in 2023 a total of 675 million gallons (GGE)² of natural gas were used as motor fuel. Of that, 531 million gallons (GGE) were from renewable sources.³

“Commercial fleets deploying trucks fueled by RNG can achieve a cost-effective carbon-negative transportation outcome today without compromising existing business operations,” said Dan Gage, President of The Transport Project. “The newest natural gas engines with Zero Emissions Equivalent technology exceed stringent federal NOx emissions standards and are certified to the CARB Model Year 2024 standard without using credits.”

“Renewable Natural Gas supply is growing,” said David Cox, Founder & CFO of Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas. “With 338 RNG facilities transforming waste into fuel, and another 489 planned or under construction, we are increasingly able to affordably offer consumers the opportunity to decarbonize with RNG – the cleanest of any fuel available today.”

RNG use as a motor fuel in 2023 displaced 6.96 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e). Put into perspective, RNG motor fuel use last year:⁴

Lowered greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to removing the GHG from over 17.8 billion miles driven by the average passenger car;
Eliminated CO₂ emissions, equivalent to removing CO^₂ emissions from over 783.5 million gallons of gasoline consumed; and
Sequestered carbon, equal to growing over 115 million tree seedlings for ten years, or over 8 million acres of U.S. forests for one year.

Details of today’s report – including graphics – can be accessed at: TTP’s website HERE and RNG Coalition’s website HERE.

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The Transport Project is a national coalition of roughly 200 fleets, vehicle and engine manufacturers and dealers, servicers and suppliers, and fuel producers and providers dedicated to the decarbonization of North America’s transportation sector. Through the increased use of gaseous motor fuels including renewable natural gas and hydrogen, the United States and Canada can help achieve ambitious climate goals and greatly improve air quality safely, reliably, and effectively without delay and without compromising existing commercial business operations. Find out more at: transportproject.org.

Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas is the non-profit association providing leadership, public policy advocacy and education for the sustainable development, deployment, and utilization of renewable natural gas. Membership is comprised of 400+ companies committed to supporting RNG Coalition’s mission and Sustainable Methane Abatement & Recycling Timeline (SMART). RNG Coalition represents industry, including leading companies, municipalities, ports and airports, colleges, and universities throughout the United States and Canada. Find out more at: www.rngcoalition.com.

CONTACTS: Dan Gage (The Transport Project)
dgage@transportproject.org
Lesley Dalton (RNG Coalition)
lesley@rngcoalition.com

California Air Resources Board, Low Carbon Fuel Standard Program, Certified Fuel Pathways. Available at: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/documents/lcfs-pathway-certified-carbon-intensities. ↩︎
GGE = gasoline gallon equivalent. ↩︎
Total Natural Gas in Transportation Figure derived from U.S. EIA’s Annual Energy Outlook (2023) and RNG numbers derived from U.S. EPA Renewable Fuel Standard Program reporting with adjustments made based on fueler member reporting. ↩︎
6,963,786 metric tons of CO2e eliminated in 2023 through RNG usage calculated using CARB’s LCFS carbon intensity (CI) numbers. ↩︎