Microgrids are essentially backup power for grids, communities, essential services, utilities, hospitals – anywhere where power needs to stay on no matter what. They generally use wind and solar to store power in batteries. However, if the outage is long or the wind and sun aren’t providing enough energy, then there could be issues.
Enchanted Rock in Texas is using renewable natural gas to provide extra energy to their microgrids.
RNG reduces greenhouse gases because it is made by capturing the methane from waste and repurposing it. So it’s sourced from biological materials rather than fossil fuels. And because it draws methane out of the environment, RNG offers a climate advantage. Methane is multiple times worse than carbon dioxide in warming the planet, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Another advantage of RNG is that it can be injected directly into pipelines to offset natural gas. Enchanted Rock made headlines earlier this year when it struck a deal with Microsoft to develop a data center microgrid in San Jose, California, to do just that.