HomeMy WebLinkAboutAAC 2022-11-09Agricultural Advisory Committee
11/9/2022
Via hybrid
Members Present: Evan Carpenter (Chair), Austin Beck, Marie McRae, Kim LaMotte, Steve Foote, Brian
Magee
Absent:
Liaisons: Loren Sparling (Town Board)
Guest(s):
The meeting was called to order at 7:35 PM.
Review and approval of minutes dated July 13, 2022.
On motion made and seconded, minutes were unanimously approved as written.
The board discussed an email (see below) sent out about manure to methane in our region:
“FYI: IMO this approach to generating and transporting methane results in mostly negative impacts:
• manure when digested is primarily methane,
• methane as you know has 80%+ more global heating capacity than CO2 over its 20-year "life
span";
• the compression, transport to a pipeline input, and burning of this methane results in
substantial leakage all of which contributes to immediate global heating.
• The fossil fuel industry uses this kind of project as a reason to encourage investment in
maintaining/expanding the fossil gas pipeline infrastructure.
• It could be that a similar proposal will come to our immediate area.
UGI to invest in upstate New York renewable natural gas project
UGI Corporation announced Tuesday that Cayuga RNG, a joint venture of UGI Energy Services LLC and
Global Common Ventures, LLC, had entered into an agreement to produce renewable natural gas (RNG)
in Upstate New York.
The project would be Cayuga RNG’s fourth and would be constructed at Bergen Farms and Glenview
Dairy, both located in Schuyler County. The project will include the construction of a manure digester
and gas upgrading equipment at each location. Once completed, the project is expected to produce
approximately 150 million cubic feet of RNG annually. The gas would be delivered to a local natural gas
pipeline serving the regional distribution system. Cayuga anticipates the project will be completed in the
second half of 2024.
“We are excited to increase our portfolio of sustainable energy solutions that will deliver environmental
benefits to farmers, communities, and customers,” said Robert F. Beard, Executive Vice President –
Natural Gas, UGI. “Renewables is a platform for growth at UGI, and, with this investment, we have
committed nearly $250 million to RNG projects across multiple states that will further expand our
geographic footprint and earnings capability.”
UGI Corporation operates natural gas and electric utilities in Pennsylvania, as well as natural gas utilities
in West Virginia. The company also distributes LPG domestically and internationally and manages
midstream energy assets in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. It also engages in energy marketing,
including renewable natural gas in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region, California, and internationally in France,
Belgium, the Netherlands, and the U.K.”
E Carpenter was curious why the email wasn’t sent to the Ag Committee but was reassured that
it was not done on purpose.
Those that are concerned with global warming are concerned with the gases passed by the
digestion of the feed stuffs. As manure breaks down it naturally releases methane. There are several
farms since the 70s that have methane digestors including Cornell.
A Beck said the negativity of the email didn’t make sense to him because when you burn
methane you release CO2 but in much smaller amounts than when you burn fossil fuels. It makes no
sense to bash a methane digestor when the farms that don’t have them are releasing the methane in
the atmosphere and has a higher potential to trap heat in the atmosphere. It only lasts 20 years vs
carbon dioxide which is much longer. Methane digestors really only have benefits.
M McRae says the email was not to discredit methane digestors. It was an objection of the
proposal to put it in the pipeline and sent it somewhere. The article is talking about a commercial
company who wants to put in digestors so they can put the gas into the pipeline.
M McRae announced that she will no longer be a member of the Agricultural Advisory
Committee after her term expires at the end of the year. She is involved in other town business and is
going to be focusing more on those obligations. The committee members thanked her for her different
perspective that she brings to the committee and told her that she will be missed.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:15 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Emily Banwell