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City of Pleasanton <br /> GHG Analysis of Natural Gas Replacement with RNG <br /> projections, benefits and costs (i.e., climate change impacts on agriculture, energy use, cost of adapting <br /> to sea level rise, etc.), and a discount rate (e.g., the rate at which society is willing to trade present <br /> benefits for future ones). While the cost to curb GHG emissions today may have immediate economic <br /> implications, if GHG emissions are not curbed, society will bear the cost later. Since both routes have <br /> economic risk and implications, federal agencies use the social cost of carbon for conducting benefit- <br /> cost analyses of policies that affect GHG emissions and determining if the cost and benefits of a <br /> proposed policy or action are justified.The current social cost of carbon set by the Environmental <br /> Protection Agency(EPA) is$51 per MT CO2 However,the EPA has proposed a price increase to $190 per <br /> MT CO2 which incorporates recent scientific advances that are more accurate. In anticipation of the <br /> price increase,the cost to procure RNG in place of natural gas has been evaluated using the anticipated <br /> social cost of carbon.The social cost of CH4 and N20 are not included in this cost assessment as the same <br /> quantity of CH4 and N20 will be emitted with the use of pipeline natural gas or pipeline RNG so there is <br /> no difference in social cost of CH4 and N20 between the two gas sources. <br /> Table 3 demonstrates procurement cost for natural gas and RNG based on the percent of RNG <br /> replacement.The table also includes the social cost of avoided non-biogenic emissions from natural gas <br /> combustion.The cost for GHG reduction with this action, or GHG savings, is calculated as the difference <br /> in cost between natural gas and RNG procurement with the social cost of carbon included, divided by <br /> the emissions avoided. As shown, with the current cost of natural gas, RNG, and social cost of carbon, it <br /> costs approximately$133 per MT CO2 avoided. <br /> Table 3 Cost Analysis of GHG Reductions <br /> Percent RNG Natural Gas RNG CoSt2 Social Cost Total • •r Cost Cost • <br /> Replacement Cost' of Avoided gas Difference' GHG <br /> Emissions' procurement4 Savings <br /> (MTCO2)6 <br /> 100% $0 $425,845 $122,679 $303,166 $86,048 $133.27 <br /> 75% $54,279 $319,384 $92,009 $281,654 $64,536 <br /> 50% $108,559 $212,923 $61,340 $260,142 $43,024 <br /> 25% $162,838 $106,461 $30,670 $238,630 $21,512 <br /> Notes:MT CO2e=metric tons carbon dioxide equivalaents <br /> 1. Cost of natural gas is determined by multiplying the quantify of procured natural gas in Table 2 by the cost for natural <br /> gas,$1.78 per therm. <br /> 2. Cost of RNG is determined by multiplying the quantify of procured RNG in Table 2 by the cost for RNG,$3.50 per therm. <br /> 3. The social cost of avoided non-biogenic emissions from natural gas are calculated by multiplying the avoided natural <br /> gas CO2 emissions by the EPA revised social cost of carbon for emissions year 2020,$190 per MT CO2- <br /> 4. Total cost for gas procurement is calculated by adding the cost for natural gas and RNG procurement minus the social <br /> cost of carbon. <br /> 5. The cost difference is calculated by subtracting the current cost for 121,665 therms of natural gas($217,118)from the <br /> calculated total cost for procurement of different amounts of RNG to replace the natural gas. <br /> Page 4 <br />