EV manages the database in collaboration with the Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, tracking U.S. RNG production facilities where part or all of the output is used as transportation fuel.
The update found that by the end of 2023, there were 305 RNG facilities in operation (up from 275 in 2022 and 230 in 2021) as well as 126 under construction, and 111 in various stages of planning. Together that adds up to 542 projects of all stages, a figure that has increased by 33.8% from the 2021 update.
As of year-end 2023, these 305 operational RNG facilities were able to produce enough fuel to displace nearly 843 million gallons of diesel fuel annually. That much RNG could power 96,900 refuse trucks – more than half of all those on U.S. roadways. RNG production capacity grew 22% compared to two years earlier. As more projects are announced, commence construction, and become operational in 2024, rapid capacity growth is poised to continue.
“While the expansion of RNG production in the U.S. documented in this assessment is an important step forward, we need to see much more if we’re to have a real shot at achieving the Global Methane Pledge,” said EV President Matt Tomich. “The US’s domestic RNG production potential is 7 to 12 times greater than current production. Continued growth in the U.S. RNG market could make this buildout possible.”
According to Energy Vision’s calculations, reaching full U.S. RNG production potential would generate enough fuel to displace over 25% of current U.S. on-road diesel demand (saving 10 billion gallons or more annually). Hitting that ambitious target would cut overall greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 120 million metric tons (measured in CO2 equivalent on a lifecycle basis) annually.
