Yolo County approves landfill gas project to produce renewable natural gas

Yolo County moved a 20-year landfill-gas deal on July 9 at the Yolo County Central Landfill, replacing an aging electricity project with renewable natural gas output. The county’s board approved the agreement with Yolo RNG, LLC on May 26, and the contract took effect July 1.

The new facility is scheduled to be completed by summer 2028. Once operating, it is scheduled to process all landfill gas collected at the Yolo County Central Landfill, upgrade it to pipeline-quality renewable natural gas and inject it into PG&E’s existing pipeline system.

Landfill gas used for power depends on grid prices and electrical interconnection, while RNG can reach transportation fuel markets and earn environmental credits tied to low-carbon fuel use. The 20-year contract allows Yolo RNG to finance cleanup, processing and pipeline connection work at a site where methane is already being captured.

County Chair Sheila Allen said the project would help Yolo County reduce climate emissions and provide economic benefits for the community. Redtail Renewables Chief Commercial Officer Rob Morgan said the company was founded on the belief that organic waste streams hold significant clean-energy potential.

Yolo County’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan had already placed RNG implementation in the mid-2026 window, linking the landfill project to methane capture and SB 1383 compliance goals. The county also adopted an addendum to the landfill permit revision environmental impact report when the board approved the deal, clearing the project through local environmental review before the July 1 contract start.

Yolo County’s Integrated Waste Management Division worked for years on shifting solid waste management at the site, and the county previously partnered with Mainspring on a landfill-biogas electricity project announced in 2022.

On July 7, the American Biogas Council said landfill gas projects account for 64% of U.S. RNG production, with 598 operating landfill gas capture systems and more than 700 additional facilities suitable for development.