PROTEST OF SIERRA CLUB

The Sierra Club argues that the proposed Biomethane Tariff by Sempra Utilities is a 'greenwashing' exercise that fails to meet California's incrementality standards for green energy programs. The protest highlights that the tariff would allow the sale of renewable attributes from existing methane sources, potentially including those outside the United States, without ensuring the development of new renewable facilities. Furthermore, the Sierra Club contends that the program lacks a finalized certification protocol and a transparent methodology for calculating greenhouse gas reductions, while potentially incentivizing industrial dairy operations that cause localized air and water pollution. The document suggests that the limited supply of biomethane—estimated at less than four percent of California's total gas demand—should be reserved for hard-to-electrify applications rather than voluntary subscriptions that perpetuate reliance on gas infrastructure.

• The proposed Biomethane Tariff fails to meet the California Public Utilities Commission's (CPUC) incrementality standard, which requires that subscriber demand result in the development of new renewable energy facilities that would not have existed otherwise.
• The application is considered incomplete because the certification protocol for biomethane credits is being developed by a third party (Center for Resource Solutions) and is not expected to be finalized until mid-2020.
• The Sempra Utilities have not provided a detailed methodology for calculating CO2 reductions, instead relying on a Cap and Trade regulation that exempts biomethane from compliance obligations rather than proving actual emissions reductions.
• The program may mislead the public and distract from electrification efforts by using a marketing budget of over $500,000 to promote a product that does not provide measurable environmental benefits and ignores methane leakage issues.
• The tariff could incentivize the expansion of large-scale industrial dairy operations, which are associated with localized odor, air pollution, and groundwater nitrate contamination, particularly in the San Joaquin Valley.
• Economically feasible biomethane potential is extremely limited, representing less than four percent of California's total natural gas demand based on 2017 consumption data.
• The proposed tariff allows for the procurement of biomethane from sources outside the continental United States and does not prohibit the purchase of unbundled renewable attributes.

APA

Earthjustice (2019). PROTEST OF SIERRA CLUB. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/protest.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. PROTEST OF SIERRA CLUB. 2019. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/protest.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Earthjustice |title=PROTEST OF SIERRA CLUB |date=5 April 2019 |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/protest.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{earthjustice2019protest, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{PROTEST OF SIERRA CLUB}}, publisher = {Earthjustice}, year = {2019}, month = apr, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/protest.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }