This is the latest installment in Waste Dive’s Biogas Monthly series. For prior editions, click here.

The biogas industry kept busy to close out the end of 2024. The U.S. Treasury released final credit guidance for Section 48 Investment Tax Credits, which provided a tax discount for projects that refined biogas into renewable natural gas and began construction last year.

If past is prologue, new tax credit language could continue to prove enticing for project developers in the coming year. Congress is slated to pass a major tax package for the first time since 2017, and experts say the RNG industry may advocate to extend or make certain credits like Section 48 permanent, locking in a more favorable business environment for new projects.

Aaron Lang, a partner at tax firm Foley Hoag who specializes in clean energy projects, said technologies like solar and wind that first received favorable tax credits years ago rode those tailwinds to accelerate deployment in recent years. But without the certainty of a multiyear credit, it's hard for a category like RNG to reach the same heights.

“It's all about what level of certainty in the investor space these tax credits provide,” Lang said. “If there is some sort of legislative extension, I would expect that more and more projects will pursue this credit.”

Republic Services, Ameresco launch JV for latest project

Ameresco and Republic Services announced the completion of the pair's 14th landfill-gas-to-RNG project on Dec. 9. The facility, located at Republic's Roxana Landfill in Edwardsville, Illinois, is also one of the largest facilities of its type, according to a release.

The facility can process up to 6,000 standard cubic feet per minute of landfill gas, which was previously flared. 

This is the first time Republic and Ameresco have created a joint venture in order to co-invest in an RNG facility. The pair have eight additional projects in various stages of development.

Republic has also pursued a joint venture model with Archaea Energy, a division of BP, which delivered its first project last summer. Republic has a goal to reuse 50% more of its biogas by 2030.

Recology partners with Waga, G2 Energy at two landfills

G2 Energy and Waga Energy are partnering to develop landfill-gas-to-RNG facilities at two Recology landfills in California, the partners announced. The projects will upgrade existing facilities that have used the gas to produce electricity.

Both projects are expected to be operating in 2026. The first, at Recology's Ostrom Road Landfill, is expected to produce 420,000 mmBtus of RNG annually. The second, at Recology's Hay Road Landfill, is expected to produce 630,000 mmBtus of RNG annually. The two facilities will inject the RNG into the local grid, run by Pacific Gas & Electric.

These will be the first two Waga units in California. The projects will also contribute to Recology's goal to use 75% of its landfill gas to produce renewable energy by 2028, CEO Sal Coniglio said in a statement.

Waga builds on Pennsylvania portfolio

Waga also closed a deal with a public sector partner in December. The Southeastern Chester County Refuse Authority in Pennsylvania announced a 20-year agreement with Waga in which the company will finance, build, own and operate a landfill-gas-to-RNG facility at the SECCRA Community Landfill in West Grove.

The project, once completed in 2026, is expected to produce 229,000 mmBtus of RNG annually which it will inject into the natural gas grid. 

This is Waga's second project in the county. It previously partnered with the Chester County Solid Waste Authority to build a site at the Lanchester Landfill and Reclamation Center, where it will produce 450,000 mmBtus of RNG annually. That project was announced in 2023 and is currently under construction. 

Clean Energy Fuels announces strong sales quarter

RNG fuels developer Clean Energy announced in a release that the third quarter was one of its best for RNG sales yet. The company, which builds fueling stations and other RNG infrastructure for customers, listed deals with several new and returning clients.

Among them were multiple waste companies. Noble Environmental inked a deal for a new fueling station in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. The station is expected to power 50 sanitation trucks. MarBorg Industries also inked a maintenance deal with Clean Energy for a 25-truck fleet in California.

Elsewhere, multiple transit agencies, including LA Metro in California, Arlington Transit in Virginia and Dallas Area Rapid Transit in Texas all inked RNG fueling deals with Clean Energy.

Additional customers included DHL, Food Express and Estes Express Lines.

Vision RNG to evaluate South Carolina landfill for new project

Vision RNG inked a long-term gas rights agreement with Greenwood County, South Carolina, for its publicly owned landfill. Under the agreement, the company will evaluate the landfill to determine the amount of usable gas. It will then build out either an RNG or power production project based on the findings.

Vision RNG will optimize the landfill's existing gas collection and control system over the next year. The agreement could run as long as 25 years, according to a release.