Lisa Explains: Renewable Natural Gas

I was thinking the other day about how much food is wasted in American households. While many turn that waste into compost for their gardens, I learned on Avista’s website that there is another use for it.

It’s not just food waste, but organic waste from agriculture, wastewater treatment plants and landfills. As this waste breaks down, it releases methane gas. A company in Roosevelt, Wash., H.W. Hill Renewable Natural Gas, captures the methane and cleans it to create carbon-neutral Renewable Natural Gas (RNG), or biomethane.

RNG is renewable, and it can take the place of natural gas. And since the process is removing methane from releasing into the atmosphere, it means lower emissions, too.

I found this video online that explains how RNG is made, how it reduces greenhouse gases and that it is compatible with the appliances you already have.

Avista has a program in which you can subscribe to a block of RNG for $5 a month. For each block, you get 1.5 therms of energy, or about 44 kilowatt hours. It is billed in $5 increments as a separate line item. You can start or stop participating in the program whenever you like, but your purchases may be limited if there isn’t enough RNG.

I went to Avista’s website to see if I was eligible, but since I’m not a natural gas customer, I can’t participate. But you can check out their site to see if RNG is right for you and your home.

Lisa, an Avista customer, bought her 1910 house because she loved the old-world character, some of which doesn’t make her house very energy efficient.  Over the last two years, Lisa shared her experience on taking some simple do-it-yourself improvements to inspire others. Now, she’s highlighting helpful information you can find on the Avista website.


Learn more about RNG.

Learn more

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  1. Lisa Explains
  2. Natural Gas

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