WALL, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Continuing its leadership on corporate sustainability and reducing emissions, New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG) today announced it has completely offset its facility and fleet use of natural gas with renewable energy. By purchasing Renewable Natural Gas Attributes (RNGAs), renewable energy credits generated from the production of Renewable Natural Gas (RNG), all emissions from natural gas use at its facilities and from the use of its Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fleet vehicles are being offset.
The volume of emissions offset through the purchase is the equivalent of supplying the natural gas needs of more than 400 homes for an entire year.
“This is an important achievement for our company that builds on our commitment to innovation, sustainability and environmental responsibility,” said Steve Westhoven, President and CEO of New Jersey Resources, the parent company of New Jersey Natural Gas. “As New Jersey Resources continues to lead the way in reducing emissions to meet New Jersey’s clean energy goals, this investment highlights the clean, renewable benefits of RNG, and the potential of future in-state RNG generation projects to lower emissions and create clean energy jobs right here in New Jersey.”
RNG, an innovative, ultra-clean fuel product, consists primarily of methane derived from the decomposition of organic sources such as food waste, landfills, dairy farm by-products or wastewater treatment plants. RNG generation facilities are independently certified with associated production of RNG and assigned credits that can be bought and sold as offsets. In this way, the offsets, formally called RNGAs, operate similarly to Renewable Energy Credits in the wind and solar markets, where the environmental attributes of clean energy production generate credits that can support compliance with emissions reduction goals, while providing revenue sources to producers.
When added to existing clean natural gas supplies already serving households and businesses for home heating, water heating and to fuel appliances, RNG makes low-emission natural gas delivery even cleaner.
The proven capability of RNG to reduce overall emissions of natural gas in the building and transportation sectors is why states as diverse as California, Connecticut, Oregon and Vermont – 25 in total - have already embraced and prioritized RNG production as a sensible way to generate renewable energy from existing waste streams. This is critical in a state like New Jersey that has significant integration of and reliance on natural gas, with 75% of homes utilizing natural gas service for home heating.
The announcement is the latest in a long list of leading sustainability accomplishments by NJR and its principal subsidiary, NJNG – a natural gas distribution utility serving over half a million customers.
- Over the last decade, NJNG has invested more than $1 billion in system improvements, resulting in the most environmentally sound system in New Jersey, as measured by leaks per mile
- NJNG was the first utility in New Jersey to remove all aged, leak-prone cast iron from its system
- NJNG was the first New Jersey utility to join ONE Future, a natural gas industry-led group dedicated to reducing methane emission at every level of the natural gas supply chain
- NJNG was the first utility in the nation to purchase responsibly sourced natural gas through the TrustWell program, which independently certifies responsible practices at the individual well level
- NJNG sources other natural gas supply from producers accredited through the Center for Responsible Shale Development, which sets comprehensive shale development standards that exceed state and federal standards
- Just this past year, NJR became the first diversified energy company based in New Jersey to offer Green Bonds, totaling $150 million, to fund clean energy investments, including 50 megawatts of solar capacity across six commercial solar installations
About New Jersey Resources
New Jersey Resources (NYSE: NJR) is a Fortune 1000 company that, through its subsidiaries, provides safe and reliable natural gas and clean energy services, including transportation, distribution, asset management and home services. It is composed of five primary businesses:
- New Jersey Natural Gas, NJR’s principal subsidiary, operates and maintains over 7,500 miles of natural gas transportation and distribution infrastructure to serve over half a million customers in New Jersey’s Monmouth, Ocean, Morris, Middlesex, Sussex and Burlington counties.
- NJR Clean Energy Ventures invests in, owns and operates solar projects with a total capacity of nearly 300 megawatts, providing residential and commercial customers with low-carbon solutions.
- NJR Energy Services manages a diversified portfolio of natural gas transportation and storage assets and provides physical natural gas services to its customers across North America.
- NJR Midstream serves customers from local distributors and producers to electric generators and wholesale marketers through its ownership of the Leaf River Energy Center and 50 percent equity ownership in the Steckman Ridge natural gas storage facility, as well as its 20 percent equity interest in the PennEast Pipeline Project.
- NJR Home Services provides service contracts as well as heating, central air conditioning, water heaters, standby generators, solar and other indoor and outdoor comfort products to residential homes throughout New Jersey.
NJR and its more than 1,000 employees are committed to helping customers save energy and money by promoting conservation and encouraging efficiency through Conserve to Preserve® and initiatives such as The SAVEGREEN Project® and The Sunlight Advantage®.
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