PENN VALLEY, PA — The room was abuzz with the sound of pens clicking as men and women scribbled down notes at a frenetic pace. Attendees of the inaugural Appalachian RNG Conference held on April 19th, just outside Pittsburgh, left with a wealth of knowledge on Renewable Natural Gas – and likely a touch of writer’s cramp.
Called by many energy players “the fuel with no downside,” last week’s RNG program mixed RNG-experienced speakers with a conference room filled with attendees running the gamut from RNG players to men and women wanting to know how they can adapt their businesses to encompass the newest “it” industry.
“I came to learn about the focus of the Renewable Natural Gas industry and how our company can fit in,” said attendee Kyle Snow, Sales Director with Alabama-based Hanwha Cimmaron, which designs and manufactures Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels for natural gas storage applications.
And the first Appalachian RNG Conference, presented by the H2-CCS Network, featured companies that covered a number of RNG-related topics: among them:
- Companies like Global Common, which develops RNG facilities at dairy farms:
- UGI, an utility turned energy service provider which has been investing in RNG projects since 2020, and has pledged more than $1 billion in renewables in general:
- A panel discussion featuring speakers representing companies with huge truck and bus fleets, addressing where RNG fits into their transportation plans:
- Consultants who explained the importance of federal and state carbon credits to making a RNG project successful:
- A company executive comparing/contrasting the various equipment components RNG projects.
Many attendees like the idea of a regional RNG conference, as opposed to a program national in scope, to “get a feel for what’s going on in this region.”
” I’m here to learn about RNG and connect with RNG and CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) industry representatives,” said Chris Heinerichs, Senior Product Manager with Constellation Energy. “I’m involved with the carbon credits part of the energy business, so I’m here to learn more about RNG from that perspective.”
“I’m here for RNG information, attending from an educational standpoint,” said Sarah Volz, Director, Process & Technology, with energy advisory firm Opportune LLP, who flew to Western Pennsylvania from Houston to attend the conference.
“We worked very hard to provide the latest RNG industry information. The attendees response is very encouraging,” Tom Gellrich, CEO & Founder, H2-CCS Network.
Many attendees left looking forward to the next regional RNG conference, Southeast RNG Conference on October 4, 2023 at the Hilton Charlotte Airport.
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