Avista Corp. signs deal to purchase methane from private producer

Avista Corp. announced Tuesday that it has signed an agreement to purchase renewable natural gas from a company that captures methane from landfills and food-processing facilities.

The deal is with Pine Creek RNG, which has two projects in Richland, one in Elberta, Utah, and another in Waterloo, Iowa.

Construction is expected to be completed on the two Richland projects by the end of this year. They are expected to produce 2.5 million therms of renewable natural gas a year. That amount of energy would be equivalent to the natural gas used by 4,173 Washington homes, according to the release.

The project at the Black Hawk County Landfill in Waterloo is expected to begin producing 2.6 million therms annually in early 2024.

“These RNG projects help Avista meet our aspirational goals to reduce natural gas emissions 30% by 2030 and to be carbon neutral in our natural gas operations by 2045,” Jason Thackston, Avista’s chief strategy and clean energy officer, said in the release.

Pine Creek RNG was selected after Avista released a request for proposals in October to find renewable natural gas sources.

“These are exciting projects for Pine Creek and will provide meaningful contribution toward Avista’s climate goals while also benefiting all involved and creating a positive impact on the environment,” said Kevin Orchard, Pine Creek’s vice president of development.