Assemblymember Steve Bennett of Ventura continues to target dairy digesters in a bill that failed to pass out of the Assembly last year.
Assembly Bill 1550 would bar the use of biomethane derived from dairy digesters in the production of hydrogen. The bill elevates environmental justice calls to remove any incentives for farmers to invest in the methane-capturing technology. They prefer to produce hydrogen through solar-powered electrolysis, a considerably more expensive process.
Despite recent amendments, hydrogen and natural gas groups—along with the Agricultural Energy Consumers Association—are raising red flags. They contend the bill would upend the state’s landmark methane reduction legislation, Senate Bill 1383, among other issues.
Bennett has until the end of the month to move the bill to the Senate.
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The legislation comes as the Air Resources Board considers changes to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard that aim to transition digester fuel from powering trucks to powering hydrogen to support California’s race to carbon neutrality. In such an all-ZEV future, hydrogen would play an increasingly critical role in powering hard-to-electrify vehicles, like trucks, trains and boats.
An earlier version of this article mischaracterized a report by UCLA law scholar Ruthie Lazenby as being based on 2018 CARB report, when the author also used a 2022 CARB to argue the state would not meet a 2030 methane goal and that further lifecycle analysis of milk is needed.
