Avista Signs New Renewable Natural Gas Contract

SPOKANE, Wash., Jan. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avista recently signed an agreement with Pine Creek RNG (“Pine Creek”) to purchase renewable natural gas (“RNG”) to be produced at the Quad Cities Landfill in Milan, IL.

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The Quad Cities Landfill is owned by Millennium Waste Incorporated, a subsidiary of Waste Connections. In October 2022, Avista released a request for proposal (RFP) to secure RNG resources for its customers over the long term. RNG is derived from organic waste streams that would otherwise release methane to the environment as they decompose. These sources include, for example, landfills, wastewater treatment plants and food waste. RNG is produced by capturing that methane that would otherwise escape to the atmosphere and purifying it to make it very similar to conventional natural gas.

This latest contract marks Avista’s fourth with Pine Creek. Previous RNG projects include the Horn Rapids Landfill in Richland, Washington, Bayview Landfill in Elberta, Utah, and the Black Hawk Landfill in Waterloo, Iowa. Construction on the Milan, Illinios project is expected to be complete by the end of 2024 and produce 3 million therms of RNG annually. The total output of Pine Creeks projects contracted with Avista is an expected 9.7 million therms annually, which is the equivalent amount of natural gas used by approximately 17,500 homes.

“These RNG projects help Avista meet our aspirational goals to reduce natural gas emissions,” said Jason Thackston, Avista’s chief strategy and clean energy officer. “Additionally, legislative changes have laid the groundwork for utilities, such as Avista, to enter the RNG market as developers, long-term buyers and long-term partners to help grow and mature the RNG market in North America.”

“This fourth offtake agreement marks another step forward in contributing towards Avista’s emission reduction goals,” said Kevin Orchard, Pine Creek’s vice president of development. “We look forward to building on the continued relationship with Avista as we further invest in our RNG strategy, which is focused on the vertical integration of our RNG into gas utility distribution systems and as a clean transportation fuel at Pine Creek fueling stations.”

About Avista Utilities

Avista Corp. is an energy company involved in the production, transmission and distribution of energy as well as other energy-related businesses. Avista Utilities is our operating division that provides electric service to 411,000 customers and natural gas to 377,000 customers. Our service territory covers 30,000 square miles in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern and eastern Oregon, with a population of 1.7 million. AERC is an Avista subsidiary that, through its subsidiary AEL&P, provides retail electric service to 17,000 customers in the city and borough of Juneau, Alaska. Our stock is traded under the ticker symbol “AVA”. For more information about Avista, please visit www.avistacorp.com.

About Pine Creek RNG

Pine Creek RNG, LLC is a vertically integrated Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) producer that develops, owns, and operates RNG facilities across the U.S. Industry-leading owners of landfills and industrial digesters partner with Pine Creek to convert sources of raw biogas into low carbon fuels. Lancer Energy, a Pine Creek Renewables owned company, has over 30 years of experience in the alternatives fuel market serving the compressed natural gas industry, converting vehicles, building and maintaining fueling stations. Pine Creek’s executive team is comprised of industry veterans with decades of experience in energy and technology, deep market knowledge, and know-how. Driven by a culture of collaboration and partnership, Pine Creek and its people are committed to creating value through positive environmental impact.

For more information about Pine Creek RNG, please visit: www.pinecreekrng.com, http://www.lancerenergy.com and http://www.pinecreek.com.

SOURCE: Avista Corporation