Green hydrogen is a clean and safe energy carrier that can be used as a fuel for electricity production and transportation, as well as energy intensive, hard-to-decarbonize industrial sectors such as agriculture, steel manufacturing and cement production, and even aviation.
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe
On Earth, hydrogen is widely used for many critical industrial processes, including fertilizer production, among others. Unfortunately, over 99% of the hydrogen used today is made from fossil fuels, which produces greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). In contrast, green hydrogen can be produced without emitting greenhouse gases as a by-product.
The GHC defines green hydrogen as “hydrogen produced from non-fossil-fuel feedstocks and emits zero or de minimis* greenhouse gas emissions on a lifecycle basis.”
*“De minimis” means an insignificant amount of non-renewable energy resources allowed to be counted as RPS-eligible.
Green hydrogen can be generated from renewable electricity such as solar or wind power by electrolysis, from biogas by steam reforming, or from biomass through thermal conversion. The United States has relied on strategic petroleum reserves to ensure energy independence for decades. It is time to invest in strategic renewable energy reserves by creating and storing environmentally friendly green hydrogen.
With the advancement of low-cost renewable energy such as solar and wind and innovative forms of high-pressure storage, the opportunity for green hydrogen to decarbonize our power and fuel supply and create new pathways for economic development has never been greater.
Learn more about green hydrogen with these free educational resources
