Does Virginia’s renewable future have space for alternative forms of gas?

After the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation in 2022 allowing natural gas companies to use biogas, a form of gas made from waste, state regulators have approved the first project developed under the new law.

This month, the State Corporation Commission approved plans by Roanoke Gas Company to construct a facility that will convert biogas sourced from a wastewater treatment facility to pipeline-quality natural gas.

The approval came as the General Assembly this winter sent a bill to Gov. Glenn Youngkin making it Virginia’s policy “to encourage the capture and beneficial use of coal mine methane.” The bill initially sought to define that type of gas as a renewable energy source but was scaled back to have the Department of Energy evaluate ways to encourage its use while considering its environmental benefits and economic development potential.

The 2022 and 2023 bills tap into a broader discussion roiling Virginia policymakers as the state transitions its electric grid from fossil fuels to renewables in an effort to reduce the carbon and methane emissions driving climate change: How much investment in gas infrastructure should Virginia continue to encourage?

Gas and oil companies say legislation like the biogas and coal methane bills offer a way for the industry to reduce and make use of existing methane emissions while also opening up new economic opportunities.

Learn more: Virginia Mercury