American Biogas Council announces new board members

The American Biogas Council has announced the results of its annual board election. Richard Cooper, vice president of business development at NW Natural Renewables, Portland, Oregon, was voted in as the board’s newest member, which adds a fifth board member affiliated with a U.S. natural gas utility. In addition, six board members were re-elected.

“As the American Biogas Council grows to serve a growing industry, we’re pleased that our membership has again voted in an extremely talented group from companies that help ensure our leadership represents the entire biogas supply chain,” says the council’s Executive Director Patrick Serfass. “Together, we will lead the way to a better future by maximizing all the positive environmental and economic impacts biogas systems offer when they recycle organic material into renewable energy and soil products.”

RELATED: Seeking a carbon standard for biogas

Elected directors include:

• Ivor Castelino leads the waste-to-energy and carbon capture business development efforts at Bloom Energy, San Jose, California. He was instrumental in the deployment of the first-ever fuel cell projects running on landfill gas and dairy biogas.
• Donald Chahbazpour is director of policy and regulatory strategy — future of heat for National Grid, London, leading the company’s efforts to implement gas decarbonization and reduce methane emissions through policy, strategy and technology. The group is also responsible for engaging stakeholders to raise awareness regarding the potential of renewable natural gas and hydrogen, and how the gas network can enable the energy transition.
• Richard Cooper leads business development activities at NW Natural Renewables, part of the Northwest Natural Holding Company, which is investing in renewable energy through the production and supply of low-carbon fuels such as renewable natural gas.
• Craig Frear is director of research and technology for Regenis, a Ferndale, Washington, company specializing in anaerobic digestion and nutrient/water treatment of dairy manure and co-digestion substrates, providing EPC, construction management, O&M and consulting services to projects.
• Thomas Murray serves as the vice president of decarbonization technology for Vermont Gas Systems, South Burlington, Vermont, overseeing the company’s efforts to procure and develop renewable natural gas (RNG) supply. Murray has led the company’s RNG initiatives, which include becoming the first gas utility in the nation to offer a voluntary RNG program and to blend RNG into its base supply.
• Brad Pleima is the president of EcoEngineers, a Des Moines, Iowa, consulting, auditing and advisory firm with an exclusive focus on the energy transition. Pleima sets the strategic goals for the company, using his expertise from more than 20 years of leadership in the renewable emerging and engineering industry, including supporting the construction of more than $4 billion in anaerobic digester and renewable natural gas (RNG) projects nationwide.
• Lauren Toretta is president/CEO and a partner of CH4 Biogas, Greenwich, Connecticut, a clean energy biogas and renewable natural gas company. At CH4, Toretta has a wide range of responsibilities, including managing corporate strategy and operations and leads the company’s focus on working with the agricultural and food and beverages sectors to provide environmental waste and renewable energy solutions.