Connecticut Hydrogen Task Force Study
About this Report:
This report has been prepared by Strategen on behalf of the Connecticut Green Bank for submission to the Connecticut Legislature consistent with the requirements of Special Act 22-8. The process had a number of other stakeholders and members of the public participate in the various meetings. We appreciate their contributions as well. For details, see www.ctgreenbank.com/hydrogentaskforce.
Executive Summary:
Economy-wide decarbonization is urgently needed to mitigate climate change and protect our communities’ public health and infrastructure. To fully decarbonize energy systems, a “clean molecule” that has little or zero carbon characteristics, such as clean hydrogen, will be required to replace fossil fuels in many applications.
Clean hydrogen can play a major role in eliminating harmful greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the global economy as a carbon-free form of fuel and energy storage. Its versatility to provide heat, fuel, and power system services can be leveraged in multiple vital economic sectors that are challenging to decarbonize, such as aviation, maritime applications, heavy-duty trucking, and high temperature industrial processes, among others. With numerous ways to produce hydrogen, the specific approach chosen significantly impacts the carbon intensity – the fuel’s life cycle greenhouse gas emissions per unit of fuel or energy delivered – of the hydrogen produced as well as its associated decarbonization benefits. Federal guidance from the proposed Clean Hydrogen Production Standard established “clean hydrogen” as that with less than 4 kg of CO2e/kg H2 on a lifecycle basis (well-to-gate).
Interest in the production and use of clean hydrogen in Connecticut is growing, due in no small part to the state’s deep experience with fuel cell and electrolyzer manufacturing, the billions of dollars in new federal grants and tax credits available in the near term via the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and state and regional climate and clean energy goals. However, stakeholders have raised concerns regarding hydrogen safety, end use prioritization, cost effectiveness, community impacts, and appropriate definitions for clean hydrogen.
Clean hydrogen can play an important role in Connecticut’s decarbonization efforts and overall economic growth. However, the scale of its role will be determined not only by economic and market forces but also by actions taken at the state, regional, and federal level. This report presents the findings and recommendations of the Hydrogen Power Study Task Force established by Special Act 22-8, which required a study of the regulations and legislation needed to guide the development of hydrogen power in Connecticut, an examination of incentives and programs created by federal legislation, and an investigation of sources and uses for potential clean hydrogen power.
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