All You Need to Know About Hydrogen Gas and Why It Won’t Save Us [PART 2]
By Jillian Du
Have you read Part 1 yet? If not, make sure to check it out before reading on.
Perhaps the worst consequence of the outsized attention on hydrogen gas is that it distracts from more viable and cheaper climate solutions and policies. And, more importantly, these solutions are available now. The only clean type of hydrogen – green hydrogen (produced with zero-emission renewable energy) – could only be produced on a large-scale sometime in the 2030s, and that’s according to the most optimistic predictions.
Based on our recent Equity Fund policy brief, Hydrogen Gas: A False Promise, we dispel what types and uses of hydrogen gas do and do not have a potential role in a truly clean and equitable energy transition. In Part 2, we describe better alternatives for clean energy solutions and – with caution – how specific hydrogen uses may have a role in our climate-just future.
Clean Energy Solutions That Improve, Not Harm, Our Communities
For the vast majority of our everyday lives, better energy alternatives should be deployed before limited uses of green hydrogen should even be considered, including:
Renewable energy, such as wind and solar, to meet rising demand and to decarbonize the electricity, energy, and transportation sectors
Energy storage to meet needs after the sun goes down
Demand-side management to increase energy efficiency and reduce the need for substitute fuels like hydrogen gas
Electric alternatives for appliances, buses, cars, etc., which are more efficient, cost-effective, and pollution-free compared to using hydrogen gas
“The best course of action is to double down on clean, renewable energy to generate electricity wherever and whenever possible.”
Overall, the best course of action is to double down on clean, renewable energy to generate electricity wherever and whenever possible. This would create more jobs and improve, rather than harm, our local communities. In addition, we need fundamental changes in how we move, live, build, and govern to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy.
Limited Roles for Green Hydrogen, Only As A Last Resort
When the aforementioned pathways fall short, hydrogen gas may play a role when both of the following circumstances are met:
Require hydrogen production to be pollution-free and green: The only carbon-free way to produce hydrogen is through electrolysis powered by renewable, zero-emission energy. Policies spurring investments in hydrogen must clearly define “green hydrogen.” For example, Illinois defines “green hydrogen” as producing “zero carbon and copollutant emissions… using 100% renewable zero carbon emission energy.”
Require green hydrogen to be used in fuel cells only in difficult-to-electrify sectors: Fuel cells in vehicles using hydrogen gas, assuming no leakages, are emission-free. But fuel cells are more inefficient, costly, and highly flammable compared to battery-powered electrification, so they should only be deployed in specific cases such as in long-haul trucks and trains. With careful decision-making and design, larger stationary fuel cells using hydrogen gas can provide energy for difficult-to-electrify sectors, such as aviation and maritime shipping.
Cutting Through The Hype
“The bottom line is that hydrogen combustion and anything other than green hydrogen should have no place in an equitable clean energy transition.”
The bottom line is that hydrogen combustion and anything other than green hydrogen should have no place in an equitable clean energy transition. Gas companies and hydrogen advocates will overlook what is truly green, pollution-free, and cost-effective for consumers, and call for an “all-of-the-above” hydrogen production approach reliant on dirty and polluting methods. These claims are dangerous and detrimental, as the hype around hydrogen will only hinder the zero-emission future we need for the climate-just world we deserve.
We cannot wait another decade or two for investments in hydrogen hubs to tell us what we know already: the future of hydrogen is overpromised, at best.
This blog is part of a series focused on the inequitable, false promises of the energy transition. Check out the first article here.
For more information on the problems with relying on hydrogen gas, flaws in arguments made by the fossil fuel industries, and alternative policy paths, check out the full policy brief.
Jillian Du is the research and engagement strategist at the Equity Fund.
