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NorthWestern Energy delivering renewable natural gas to customers in Brookings area
Date: Apr 22, 2024
TYPE: News
NOTE: This news release was edited on Feb. 17, 2025
Sioux Falls, S.D. – April 22, 2024 – NorthWestern Energy recently celebrated the opening of a new natural gas interconnection system, which is now accepting natural gas originating from a Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) facility at an area dairy operation in the Brookings area. Reed McKee, who serves as Director of Transmissions and Distribution, Business Development and Strategic Support at NorthWestern Energy, said the company will accept about 700,000 dekatherms annually at the interconnection with this RNG facility, which is enough to serve roughly 10,000 residential customers.
RNG facilities capture methane that would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere from biogenic sources. The natural gas is tested for quality and BTU content, verifying it meets the requirements for standard pipeline quality natural gas. To maintain customer affordability, NorthWestern Energy currently does not purchase the environmental attributes associated with the gas produced at this facility, and the company is delivering “brown gas” (i.e., the molecules of gas without the environmental attributes) to its customers.
“We are proud to be at the forefront of using natural gas from RNG facilities, at no additional cost for our customers, in South Dakota,” said NorthWestern Energy President and Chief Executive Officer Brian Bird. “Renewable natural gas contributes to our collective sustainable future.”
Bird also highlighted that RNG provides economic opportunities for local agriculture businesses.
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NorthWestern Energy - Delivering a Bright Future
NorthWestern Energy, provides essential energy infrastructure and valuable services that enrich lives and empower communities while serving as long-term partners to our customers and communities. We work to deliver safe, reliable, and innovative energy solutions that create value for customers, communities, employees, and investors. We do this by providing low-cost and reliable service performed by highly-adaptable and skilled employees. We provide electricity and / or natural gas to approximately 775,300 customers in Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Yellowstone National Park. Our operations in Montana and Yellowstone National Park are conducted through our subsidiary, NW Corp, and our operations in South Dakota and Nebraska are conducted through our subsidiary, NWE Public Service. We have provided service in South Dakota and Nebraska since 1923 and in Montana since 2002.
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