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An Oregon proposal to cut greenhouse gas emissions by producing green hydrogen gas and blending it into natural gas for consumers in Eugene could come with record costs.
The company says the goal is to experiment with creating its own emissions-free hydrogen to make its fuel cleaner in the future. Some experts say greener natural gas could play a larger role in future energy supplies. But the costs of producing the hydrogen are far greater than the costs of electrifying homes and powering them with emissions-free solar and wind energy. Each ton of emissions cut would cost three times the next most expensive method that exists, which is to suck carbon from the atmosphere using large machines, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.
Environmentalists are skeptical and concerned about the plan. They say it is a way for NW Natural to delay a transition away from natural gas and that the fuel does not have a place in a zero-emissions energy economy of the future. Natural gas is almost entirely methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gases, and it can trap up to 25 times the heat of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Utilities watchdogs say the high costs of creating hydrogen to blend into natural gas don''t justify the benefits, and they are concerned that the company will pass those costs to customers.
NW Natural is proposing to lease land from the west Eugene facility of the Eugene Water and Electric Board to build a 1-megawatt electrolyzer that separates water into hydrogen and oxygen. The board will provide NW Natural with water and electricity from 90% renewable energy sources to power the electrolyzer and to create the hydrogen. It''s considered green because the electricity would come from renewable sources, and the hydrogen would be produced from water. There are no emissions in the process of making the hydrogen. The hydrogen is then trapped and used as energy, which is emissions-free. The company would blend 5% hydrogen with its natural gas and pump that to about 2,500 customers in west Eugene.
This would be the first such project in Oregon as it joins Washington in attempting to bea national hubof green hydrogen production.
The company hopes to offset the costs of the electrolyzer, which could run up to $10 million, and the cost of creating the hydrogen with state and federal subsidies. It says the project is an experiment as it prepares for a future of more and cheaper hydrogen in the energy sector.
The project is in the early stages of the permitting process with the Public Utilities Commission, according to Kandi Young, a spokesperson for the three-member, governor-appointed commission.
The group regulates the state''s investor-owned natural gas utilities, which include NW Natural, Cascade Natural and Avista.
Young said NW Natural still needs to present its proposal, which would be followed by staff testimony and a public comment period. The deadline for a decision would be in early February 2023 unless the company files for an extension.
The company is not trying to create a low-cost alternative to natural gas or to reduce NW Natural''s overall emissions right now, according to spokesperson Dave Santen.
"This initial project – the first in Oregon – will provide valuable learnings that will prepare for the deployment of clean hydrogen more broadly across the economy and sectors," Santen said in an email.
Incorporating hydrogen into its natural gas supply could help the company reach emissions reductions goals mandated by Gov. Kate Brown''s 2020 executive order on climate change.
Those goals include getting the state''s overall greenhouse gas emissions down to 45% of 1990 levels by 2035 and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. The natural gas sector will be responsible for 26% of those reductions.
Santen said it''s also an opportunity for the company to work with renewable electricity providers on energy storage. When a solar facility has a surplus of energy, it could send electricity to the Eugene facility to make hydrogen. When it''s dark and more electricity is needed, the hydrogen that was made and stored could in turn be used to generate electricity.
"This project will reduce emissions as it enables the creation of low carbon, renewable hydrogen gas that will offset the use of traditional natural gas," Santen said.
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