Authors of a white paper focused on blending hydrogen made using renewable electricity with natural gas suggest wholesale backing by utilities and policymakers could sidetrack U.S. climate progress, but industry advocates see it as part of an arsenal of solutions.

Researchers with Energy Innovation Policy and Technology LLC posited that large-scale plans to blend green hydrogen with natural gas in existing infrastructure are at best a “highly inefficient” solution for power generation and heating. In the worst case scenario, relying on green hydrogen could lead to dead-end investments that raise greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over time, while inflating energy costs for consumers. 

“Theoretically, hydrogen offers an appealing path for gas utilities to continue...