UCR: Renewable Natural Gas Symposium May 17 at the Bourns Technology Center
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT) at the University of California, Riverside’s Bourns College of Engineering will hold a Renewable Natural Gas Symposium from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 17 at the Bourns Technology Center, 1200 Columbia Ave, Riverside, 92507. During the symposium, there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the recently established Center for Renewable Natural Gas (CRNG), which is part of CE-CERT and aims to accelerate the commercial-scale production and utilization of renewable natural gas (RNG).
RNG is fully interchangeable with fossil natural gas, but is produced from a renewable feedstock and can be used as a substitute for, or blended with, conventional natural gas. RNG is an important alternative fuel that can help the state of California meet several Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and renewable energy targets.
Arun Raju, director of the CRNG and the symposium organizer, said the event will provide an in-depth discussion of RNG adoption from the lab to the marketplace, with a focus on technology advancements and efficiency gains.
“Renewable natural gas is an important alternative fuel with multiple advantages. It offers the ability to utilize local renewable resources and eliminate waste disposal problems. The Center for Renewable Natural Gas will concentrate on real-world scale research, development, and demonstration towards increasing commercial RNG production and use,” Raju said.
Speakers at the event include Rob Oglesby, executive director, California Energy Commission; George Minter, regional vice president, Southern California Gas Company; Ryan McCarthy, science and technology policy advisor, California Air Resources Board; and Keith Wipke, fuel cell and hydrogen technologies program manager, National Renewable Energy Laboratory.