Dana Point, California – A study on the economic impact of renewable natural gas (RNG) jobs was released today, illustrating a rapidly growing industry advancing strong U.S. job growth. The study was conducted by the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas and was supported by analysis from Guidehouse, a leading global provider of consulting services to the public sector and commercial markets.
RNG facilities capture methane from waste at farms, landfills and wastewater treatment centers, treat it, and turn it into a carbon-neutral to carbon-negative energy source. A critical component to the clean energy future, RNG also provides energy diversification security, and is a revenue stream for farmers, food processors, developers, landfill and wastewater treatment owners and many more.
“Capturing methane before it escapes into the atmosphere and mitigating its negative impacts by converting it for everyday use as a source of clean fuel and energy is the right thing to do for the environment,” said Johannes Escudero, Founder & CEO of the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas. “But this study is an acknowledgement of the incredible job growth and economic benefits that RNG also represents.”
Findings from the study include:
- In 2021, RNG contributed 22,600 Jobs and $2.6B in GDP to the U.S. economy.
- RNG jobs are high paying. The vast majority pay well above the national average personal income.
- RNG is growing and its contribution to jobs and the economy will inevitably increase. In addition to the 200+ operating RNG facilities, there are more than 230 RNG facilities under construction or in advanced planning stages.
- At the current growth rate, the U.S. economy will add over 100,000 jobs from 800+ new RNG facilities by 2030. Policy initiatives accelerating the path to net-zero can significantly accelerate these numbers.
- Each additional 100 RNG facilities create 15,000 jobs.
- Reaching the 2050 Sustainable Methane Abatement & Recycling Timeline (SMART) initiative will capture fugitive methane at 43,000+ organic waste sites and create 6+ million jobs.
“Adoption of RNG has grown at a tremendous pace over the past ten years,” said David Cox, Founder & CFO of the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas. “There is still a lot of education and advocacy work ahead, but the numbers seen here illustrate a bright future for both the environment and the economy.”
The report can be accessed on RNG Coalition’s website: Jobs Study.
