Brightmark, Chevron Athena Project Delivers First Renewable Natural Gas

August 22, 2022 by Dan McCue
Brightmark, Chevron Athena Project Delivers First Renewable Natural Gas
The Athena Project in South Dakota (Brightmark)

MINNEHAHA COUNTY, S.D. — Brightmark RNG Holdings — a joint venture partnership between Chevron U.S.A. Inc., and Brightmark Fund Holdings — has delivered its first gas created from the methane-rich manure of dairy cows.

The Athena Project comprises three farms: Boadwine Farms, Pioneer Dairy and Moody Dairy located in Minnehaha County on the eastern border of South Dakota.

Together, under the auspices of Chevron and Brightmark, they produce the feedstock that is eventually turned into dairy biomethane, a renewable natural gas.

Methane generated by the manure from the Athena Project is expected to be captured, cleaned and converted into RNG, which can be used for transportation, cooking or electricity. The gas is anticipated to be injected into the local interstate pipeline system statewide.

“Achieving first gas at the Athena Project marks another major milestone as Brightmark continues to scale and expand our RNG production footprint throughout the country,” said Bob Powell, founder and CEO of Brightmark, in a written statement.

“Through our collaboration with Chevron and Lynn Boadwine, owner of Boadwine Farms, Pioneer Dairy and Moody Dairy, we believe the Athena Project further demonstrates the transformative economic and environmental benefits of partnering with our country’s essential farmers to reduce and offset lifecycle carbon emissions,” Powell said.

Andy Walz, president of Chevron’s Americas Fuels & Lubricants, said renewable natural gas undertakings like the Athena Project are designed not only to capture methane that is currently emitted into the atmosphere, but also “to support our commitment to meeting out customers’ growing demands for lower carbon fuel solutions.”

Similarly,  Boadwine said as agriculture and technology continue to advance and evolve, “it has become apparent now more than ever that these two industries need to work hand-in-hand for the sake of our environment and those that inhabit it.

“With the achievement of first gas at the Athena Project, we believe we are actively demonstrating the positive results that can be produced by the coalescence of agriculture and scientific innovation,” Boadwine said.

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and at https://twitter.com/DanMcCue.

A+
a-
  • Athena Project
  • Brightmark RNG HOldings
  • Chevron
  • dairy cows
  • renewable natural gas
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Energy

    May 23, 2025
    by Tom Ramstack
    Trump Signs Executive Orders to Boost US Nuclear Energy

    WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed executive orders Friday intended to boost the U.S. nuclear energy industry by reducing regulatory... Read More

    WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed executive orders Friday intended to boost the U.S. nuclear energy industry by reducing regulatory burdens and increasing domestic production of uranium. Nuclear power plants would produce four times as much electricity for the United States compared with now under Trump’s... Read More

    May 23, 2025
    by Dan McCue
    Memorial Day Prices at Pump Set to Be Lowest in Years

    WASHINGTON — Forty million Americans are expected to hit the road this Memorial Day weekend, and when they do, the... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Forty million Americans are expected to hit the road this Memorial Day weekend, and when they do, the vast majority will be in for a happy surprise — the lowest prices they’ve paid at the gas pump in years. According to GasBuddy, the Dallas-based... Read More

    $365M Slated for Solar Projects in Puerto Rico Will Be Diverted to Power Grid, Sparking Outcry

    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The U.S. Department of Energy announced Wednesday that $365 million originally slated for solar... Read More

    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The U.S. Department of Energy announced Wednesday that $365 million originally slated for solar projects in Puerto Rico will be diverted to improve the island’s crumbling power grid, sparking an outcry just days before the Atlantic hurricane season starts. The funds had... Read More

    May 20, 2025
    by Dan McCue
    Trump Administration Lifts Stop Work Order on Empire Wind Project

    WASHINGTON — In a major turn of events in the U.S. offshore wind sector, the Trump administration on Monday night... Read More

    WASHINGTON — In a major turn of events in the U.S. offshore wind sector, the Trump administration on Monday night lifted the stop work order that had all but doomed the Empire Wind energy project off the coast of New York state. Equinor ASA, the company... Read More

    May 19, 2025
    by Dan McCue
    Virginia to Invest $1.2M in Nuclear Power Technology Hub

    RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Monday that his state is investing $1.2 million to advance efforts to... Read More

    RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Monday that his state is investing $1.2 million to advance efforts to make the state a “leader in next-generation nuclear technologies.” The lion’s share of the money — about $750,000 — will be spent on assessing the feasibility... Read More

    May 19, 2025
    by Dan McCue
    Blink Cutting Workforce by 20% Amid Downturn for EV Charging Market

    BOWIE, Md. — Blink Charging said Monday it is reducing its workforce by about 20% in a bid to “streamline”... Read More

    BOWIE, Md. — Blink Charging said Monday it is reducing its workforce by about 20% in a bid to “streamline” operations amid an ongoing decline in revenue. The company said the job cuts, which will be carried out into the fall, are expected to lead to... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top