Green Hydrogen Coalition Welcomes Dr. Laura Nelson as Executive Director
PRESS RELEASE:
March 31, 2020– Berkeley, CA - The Green Hydrogen Coalition (GHC) is pleased to announce that the former Executive Director of the Utah Governor’s Office of Energy Development and Governor Herbert’s former Energy Advisor, Laura Nelson, PhD, has joined the organization as Executive Director.
Dr. Nelson, an economist, has led a distinguished career in the energy industry and is a long-standing hydrogen champion. Under her leadership, Utah founded the first-of-its-kind Annual Utah Governor’s Energy Office Hydrogen Symposium.
Nelson brings a proven track record of delivering impactful regulatory and commercial results and driving innovation in the public and private sectors, and has worked across diverse stakeholder groups to address complex and controversial issues associated with energy portfolio options, regulatory adjustments, and cost allocations. Dr. Nelson has served as Chair of the Utah Energy Infrastructure Authority Board, Chair of the Western Interstate Energy Board, Vice Chair of the National Association of Energy Officials, Board Member of the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, and on the US Department of Energy State Energy Advisory Council.
Nelson was drawn to the role by the mission of the Green Hydrogen Coalition. She states, “At this critical juncture for our transitioning energy system, green hydrogen is the ultimate game-changer to assure reliability, affordability, and security for our energy systems. Because development of this resource supports repurposing existing infrastructure, it creates economic development, local jobs, greater fuel diversity, and system resilience. Ultimately, green hydrogen will support a clean, sustainable energy economy for everyone, and it is the new strategic fuel for our generation.”
Janice Lin, GHC Founder and President, is thrilled to have Dr. Nelson join the team. Says Lin, “Laura has an amazing track record for leading energy transformation in the Western US. Her vision for green hydrogen, innate inspirational leadership and strong network will help us significantly accelerate progress for the GHC regionally and globally.”
Green hydrogen can be used as a zero-carbon seasonal energy storage solution to integrate intermittent renewables like solar and wind to the electricity grid. Green hydrogen can be produced in several ways – by splitting water molecules with an electrolyzer powered by renewable electricity or reforming biogas. Hydrogen is an industrial commodity used in industrial processes around the world and can be a feedstock for sustainable fuels. To date, over 99% of the world’s hydrogen production has been derived from fossil fuels.
The first GHC initiative is to support the conversion of Intermountain Power Project (IPP), an 1,800 MW coal-fired generator located in Delta, Utah. Owned by Intermountain Power Agency (IPA), the plan is to convert IPP to an 840 MW combined cycle gas turbine that will be capable of using a blend of natural gas and 30% green hydrogen in 2025, ultimately increasing that percentage to 100% by 2045. The green hydrogen used by the new power plant will be produced exclusively by electrolysis using renewable energy.
The GHC plans to also leverage the IPP conversion to establish market mechanisms for a regional renewable reliability reserve for the Western US. IPP’s convenient Utah location atop the Western US’s largest underground salt formation, and the regional need for long-duration storage, will enable the establishment of a low-cost seasonal green hydrogen renewable energy storage capability.
Founding members of the GHC include the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Intersect Power, 8minute Solar Energy, and Southern California Gas Company.
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About Green Hydrogen Coalition
Founded in 2019, the Green Hydrogen Coalition (GHC) is a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives, a 501c3 non-profit organization. The GHC mission is to facilitate policies and practices that will advance green hydrogen production and use in all sectors where it will accelerate a carbon free energy future. The GHC focuses on building top-down momentum for scalable green hydrogen projects that leverage multi-sector opportunities to simultaneously scale supply and demand. Visit www.ghcoalition.org.
MEDIA CONTACT
Melanie Davidson
Director of Marketing
Green Hydrogen Coalition
mdavidson@strategen.com