Clean Energy Fuels Corp. has brought its newest renewable natural gas (RNG) project online at South Fork Dairy in Dimmitt, Texas, marking a major addition to the nation’s RNG supply. The company confirmed the facility is now producing pipeline-quality gas and injecting it into the interstate natural gas system.

South Fork Dairy is home to 16,000 cows and now ranks among the country’s largest RNG sites. At full capacity, it will generate about 2.6 million gallons of RNG each year by processing up to 300,000 gallons of manure daily through four anaerobic digesters and advanced gas-cleaning technology.

Clean Energy fully financed the $85 million build, which broke ground in July 2024 and will receive all RNG produced at the site.

“The requirements to reach production and injecting milestones were extremely stringent, and we are incredibly proud of the team for getting our seventh RNG facility online, on time and on budget. It’s no small feat,” says Clay Corbus, SVP at Clean Energy. “The completion of the project at South Fork is particularly special because not only is it a major step forward in building our low-carbon RNG supply to ensure we have the volumes needed to meet the growing fleet demand, but we were able to work side-by-side with such a remarkable dairyman in Frank Brand.”

For South Fork Dairy owner Frank Brand, the project represents both environmental progress and operational efficiency.

“Partnering with Clean Energy to build an RNG facility on the dairy has been a success for us,” Brand says. “We’re processing our manure into useful bedding and producing clean, useful fuel for vehicles – it’s pretty amazing stuff. Being a part of something so circular that allows the dairy to reduce its emissions while providing an additional income stream is an added bonus.”

Construction on the site hit a major setback after a fire damaged the dairy last year, halting work on the digester complex. Brand’s team rebuilt the operation in parallel with Clean Energy, and both the dairy and the RNG plant are now fully restored.

The facility has cleared a key regulatory hurdle as well. Its RNG has received EPA approval to begin generating Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard. Clean Energy expects California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) credits to begin accruing in early 2026. The company already distributes RNG through a national network of more than 600 fueling stations.

T Diamond Bar and Montrose Environmental supported engineering and environmental work on the project.

Manure-based RNG is gaining traction as agriculture and transportation — sectors responsible for roughly 10% and 28% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, respectively — look for ways to cut climate impacts. Capturing methane from dairy manure prevents a potent greenhouse gas from entering the atmosphere, and using that methane as fuel can achieve a negative carbon-intensity score, making it one of the lowest-carbon liquid or gaseous fuels available. It also typically costs less than diesel at the pump, adding economic appeal alongside environmental benefits.

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