Hydrogen Transitions in a Greenhouse Gas Constrained World

In order to realize the promise of a hydrogen economy in this United States, it is essential to couple it with a simultaneous commitment to improve energy efficiency and increase the use of renewable energy. In this study, using detailed scenario analyses for the country as a whole and for urban areas, we found that a large-scale switch to hydrogen produced by a clean energy system would lead to twice the environmental benefits compared to would be achieved in a hydrogen transition under a business-as-usual energy mentality. By 2050, when a “clean” transition to hydrogen would be nearly complete, greenhouse gas emissions would be roughly half of what they are today, compared to about a billion tons more, even with hydrogen produced from coal and natural gas. We found that introducing energy efficiency and renewable programs around the country early on will be important to pave the way for a hydrogen transition by freeing up some of the nation’s electricity, natural gas and coal infrastructure. Having broader energy goals, such as those established by greenhouse gas emission constraints that involve energy efficiency and the increased use of renewables, will actually make the hydrogen transition easier.