California approves first SB 1440 biomethane project at wastewater facility

Anaergia Inc. announced that the California Public Utilities Commission has conditionally approved a long-term biomethane procurement agreement tied to its SoCal Biomethane facility, marking the first project under California’s Senate Bill 1440 program.

The facility, located at the Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority, co-digests municipal wastewater and organic waste to produce biogas that is upgraded into renewable natural gas (RNG) and injected into the pipeline. The project can process up to 104,000 tons of organic waste annually and is expected to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Anaergia is proud that our facility will be the first to supply SB 1440-qualified RNG in California,” said Assaf Onn, Anaergia’s CEO, in a press release. “This milestone demonstrates how existing wastewater infrastructure can be leveraged to rapidly scale RNG supply from organic waste as mandated by California laws SB 1383 and SB 1440.”

The agreement, which includes partners Anew Climate LLC and Southwest Gas, supports California’s broader push to scale RNG production from landfill-diverted organic waste as part of its decarbonization strategy.

“Long-term offtake agreements from natural gas utilities support state climate goals, and we appreciate the CPUC’s leadership in advancing projects that deliver real, local emissions reductions,” said Ryan Childress, managing director of Low Carbon Fuels at Anew Climate, in a press release. “This is a meaningful step toward scaling renewable, baseload energy.”

Utility leaders emphasized the role wastewater facilities can play in resource recovery and emissions reduction.

“VVWRA is proud to be part of California’s first project delivering RNG under Senate Bill 1440,” said Darron Poulsen, general manager of the Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority, in a press release. “Wastewater facilities like ours are uniquely positioned to turn organic waste into clean, renewable energy, and this partnership with Anaergia shows just how impactful that collaboration can be.”

The project highlights a growing trend of leveraging wastewater infrastructure to produce renewable energy while supporting state climate and waste diversion goals.