We Offer a Range of Biomass Solutions to Meet Your Needs
While efforts to minimize impacts of energy production on the environment continue to intensify, the use of renewable fuels is getting increased attention as a viable alternative to fossil-based fuels. There is increasing demand that biomass in the form of wood, agricultural residues and other organic materials are vital components of the renewable energy mix.
RG&E is focused on converting a variety of renewable resources into clean energy. The renewable fuel produced by converting waste plant and animal material that has consumed carbon dioxide during its life span will result in real progress in minimizing impacts on the environment due to CO2 emissions. This also helps meet the demand to minimize materials and waste sent to landfills, even after recycling, and creates opportunities to use resources more efficiently as an energy source.
Wood Based Products
There is increasing pressure to reduce solid waste deposited in landfills around the country, notably in California. RG&E, working with our delivery partners, have technologies to convert this waste wood into renewable natural gas that is used to generate heat and power.
Orchard Waste Processing
There are approximately 1.5 million acres of almond and walnut orchards in California. With an average production life of 20 years for almond trees, there are about 40,000 acres of trees removed annually providing about 1.6 million tons of orchard wood waste per year. Adding in pistachio shells and hulls, California orchards can support the production of a continuous supply of biomass that RG&E will convert to fuel to produce clean energy at multiple sites
Solid Waste
The U.S. is the #1 trash-producing country in the world at 1,609 pounds per person per year. This means that 5% of the world's people generate 40% of the world's waste. About 1/3 of all landfill waste is made up of packing material. RG&E utilizes technologies that can convert some of this solid waste to renewable gas that can generate heat and power for our customers.
Dairy Digester
Dairy digesters are a renewable technology that uses livestock manure to produce methane, which is a renewable source of electrical energy generation and transportation fuel. The technology has many environmental and social benefits.
Managing Wildfire Hazard
There is increased emphasis on improving vegetation management practices to minimize the impacts and consequences of future wildfires. As a result, there is an increasing supply of high hazard wood available for gasification and conversion to heat and energy. RG&E is focused on using this wood as a fuel source to further minimize CO2 emissions for the production of energy.