Oregon’s largest natural gas company is selling as much fossil fuel as ever

Think Out Loud

NW Natural told Oregonians it had a new source of clean energy: renewable natural gas derived from decomposing organic waste at sites like landfills or dairy farms. In 2017 the company helped to write a law promoting the development of the new fuel, with the promise that it could replace fossil natural gas in our pipelines. Internal documents obtained by ProPublica reveal how the company painted a picture of going green while it has continued to sell as much fossil natural gas in an average year as it did before. NW Natural maintains that it has been stymied in its efforts by lack of support from regulators and too many barriers. McKenzie Funk, reporter for ProPublica, joins us to explain.