Portland, OR-based NW Natural executives on Friday talked up prospects in the renewable natural gas (RNG) sector and the growth in the customer base, which has come despite depressed demand from Covid-19. 

CEO David Anderson during the second quarter conference call said construction and conversions have led to adding more than 13,000 customers during the past 12 months, equating to an annual growth rate of 1.7%.

“While we can’t predict the full economic effect of the pandemic, we continue to see mitigating factors for our resilient business model,” Anderson said.

The company also is now able to produce, buy and distribute RNG following a regulatory decision last month, enabling “the next step in our state’s energy transition,” he said.

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