Keeping it Clean:
Renewably Derived Hydrogen

Tuesday, June 3, 2003
2:30 – 4:00 pm, HC-8, US Capitol Building

 The House and Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucuses, the Sustainable Energy Coalition, and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a Congressional briefing on the exciting technologies available to produce hydrogen from renewable energy sources.  The President has committed the United States to the development of a hydrogen-based transportation infrastructure, and Congress is vigorously promoting extensive research and development on emerging hydrogen technologies.  Hydrogen, however, is only as clean as the feedstock from which it is produced.  The use of hydrogen that is extracted from fossil fuels does little to eliminate the emission of carbon dioxide and other pollutants, without carbon sequestration and other controls, instead shifting the emission point from the tailpipe to the smokestack.  Deriving hydrogen from clean, renewable energy sources, however, is a viable and appealing alternative that is being developed today.  Showcasing these technologies and discussing their related environmental and health benefits were the following panelists:

 Briefing Panel:

Ø      Jeff Serfass, President, National Hydrogen Association  Presentation*

Ø      Tony Delucia, Chairman, Board of Directors, American Lung Association  Presentation*

Ø      Mike Nicklas, Chair, Board of Directors, American Solar Energy Association  Presentation Part 1*  
   Presentation Part 2*

Ø      Krishna Sapru, Director, Thermal Hydride Products, Energy Conversion Devices  Presentation*

 Hydrogen technologies used in transportation and distributed generation applications produce little to no harmful emissions, and in the case of fuel cells, emit only water.   These technologies can help the United States improve its energy efficiency, decrease its dependence on foreign oil, and enhance its environment. However, hydrogen is not an energy source, but rather, a highly-efficient energy storage medium that must be produced.  A variety of feedstocks can be used to produce hydrogen, including fossil fuels, nuclear power, and renewable energy sources, yet each comes with its own related environmental costs and/or benefits.

 Any method that relies on fossil fuel feedstocks to produce hydrogen, such as steam methane reformation and coal gasification, also emits carbon dioxide and other pollutants as a byproduct of the production process.  ‘Clean’ hydrogen, however, can be produced from renewable energy sources that do not emit carbon dioxide or other harmful pollutants.  Wind energy, for example, can be used to produce hydrogen through the chemical reaction that occurs when electricity is combined with water, a process known as electrolysis.  This technology is currently under development and has continued to become less expensive over time.  Furthermore, clean hydrogen can be produced from any of the renewable energy technologies, and does not require the development of controversial and expensive sequestration technologies.  Realizing the multiple benefits of clean hydrogen is not a dream waiting to be realized, but rather, is a goal many are working towards today.      

 For more information about the briefing, please contact JR Drabick at EESI at 202-662-1886 or jrdrabick@eesi.org.