Resulting emissions reductions are estimated to be equivalent
to the carbon sequestered by over 12,000 acres of U.S. forest for
one year
ATLANTA, Feb. 1, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Two Southern Company Gas subsidiaries, Virginia
Natural Gas and Chattanooga Gas, have entered into their first
renewable natural gas agreement, which will increase access to
clean, safe, reliable and affordable fuel. The emissions reductions
from this transaction are estimated to be equivalent to the carbon
sequestered by over 12,000 acres of U.S. forest or an area the size
of Manhattan.
The deal involves acquiring environmental credits from
facilities in Nebraska and
Indiana.
"We are privileged to provide over 4 million people in four
states with fuel that is clean, safe, reliable and affordable,"
said Southern Company Gas Executive Vice President of External
Affairs and Chief External and Public Affairs Officer Bryan
Batson. "Incorporating RNG into our fuel supply not only meets
our customers' expectations that we deliver sustainable solutions,
but it's also one of several tools we're deploying in support of
our goal to reach net zero operational emissions by 2050."
RNG is a sustainable fuel produced from naturally occurring
methane emitted primarily from landfill, agricultural, wastewater
and food waste sites. Capturing this biogas at the source before it
is emitted into the atmosphere reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
RNG is a sustainable and reliable energy source that is compatible
with existing infrastructure and appliances. Depending on the
source, it can be carbon neutral or carbon negative.
This transaction is made possible by the passage of supportive
policies in both Virginia and
Tennessee. Virginia's Energy Innovation Act and
Sustainable Gas Program allows and encourages the production and
delivery of RNG. The Tennessee Natural Gas Innovation Act permits
natural gas utilities to pursue cleaner energy options and for
incremental innovative natural gas costs to be reflected in the
utilities' purchased gas adjustment.
This deal is aligned with Southern Company Gas' decarbonization
efforts across the natural gas value chain. Chattanooga Gas
announced last August that 100% of the natural gas supply for its
residential and small business customers is "Next Generation
Natural Gas," which is fuel that is procured, transported or
delivered by companies that are reducing their methane emissions.
Virginia Natural Gas, which first began use of Next Generation
Natural Gas in 2019, continues to engage more and more suppliers to
deliver cleaner fuel to customers, as well.
About Southern Company Gas
Southern Company Gas is a
wholly owned subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE:SO),
America's premier energy company. Southern Company Gas serves
approximately 4.4 million natural gas utility customers through its
regulated distribution companies in four states and more than
600,000 retail customers through its companies that market natural
gas. Other nonutility businesses include investments in interstate
pipelines, asset management for natural gas wholesale customers and
ownership and operation of natural gas storage facilities. For more
information, visit southerncompanygas.com.
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SOURCE Southern Company Gas