President Trump signed executive orders prioritizing fossil fuels while rolling back renewable energy efforts. These orders aim to expand oil and gas production, halt funding for
Cheap clean hydrogen? Not so fast, energy giants say
Summary
According to a new report led by former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and sponsored by some of the nation's largest energy companies and a Bill Gates-founded group, billions of dollars in federal subsidies from the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan infrastructure law may not make "clean" hydrogen a commercially viable fuel. The analysis disputes the premise that low-carbon hydrogen will soon be a cheap fuel source for polluting sectors and suggests that the federal government must do more to make it a viable product. The researchers assessed the cost of manufacturing hydrogen while keeping life-cycle emissions within standards. Current climate legislation limits clean hydrogen to 4 kilos of carbon emissions per kilogram. Environmental justice organizations have opposed policies that promote "blue" hydrogen, generated from natural gas and carbon capture. EFI included blue hydrogen synthesis in its relevant processes. The analysis said that tax credits would greatly reduce hydrogen prices, but they would not be enough to persuade power plants, oil refiners, ammonia and steel makers to switch to low-carbon fuels. Pipeline watchdogs warn combining hydrogen and natural gas in gas pipes would endanger public safety.
January 20, 2025
Energy Justice
Energy Justice
On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed executive orders reversing key climate policies from the Biden administration. He declared a “national energy emergency,”
January 18, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
A report by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) warns that the global economy could lose 50% of its GDP between 2070 and 2090 due to climate shocks like fires, flooding,
January 17, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
Los Angeles wildfires have ravaged 40,000 acres and destroyed 12,000 structures since January 7, exposing residents to uniquely hazardous smoke. Unlike typical wildfires, these
January 17, 2025
Energy Justice
Energy Justice
California's electric truck depots are increasingly adopting microgrids powered by solar, batteries, and gas generators to address utility grid delays. Prologis’ Denker Avenue
A study in *Environmental Science & Technology* shows prioritizing the closure of coal-fired power plants in environmental justice communities could prevent up to 136 premature
January 17, 2025
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice
Residents of Shiloh, Alabama, a majority-Black community, are seeking federal accountability for years of severe flooding linked to a highway expansion by the Alabama Department
January 17, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
The American Conservation Coalition (ACC), a conservative climate organization, aims to influence Donald Trump’s second term with an "America-first climate strategy" focused on
January 15, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
President Biden’s American Climate Corps, aimed at creating green jobs to combat climate change, is shutting down ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration. Launched in 2023 with a
January 15, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
As President-elect Donald Trump prepares for a second term, state-level climate initiatives are poised to counteract federal rollbacks. States like California, bolstered by the U.
January 14, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
The Center for Microgrid Research at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, not to be confused with the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, is expanding its efforts to
January 10, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
New York City has implemented congestion pricing, making it the first U.S. city to adopt this policy, which charges vehicles entering Manhattan below 60th Street. The plan aims to
January 9, 2025
Energy Justice
Energy Justice
Jimmy Carter’s presidency made energy a central political issue in the U.S., emphasizing reduced oil dependency and energy conservation. As president, Carter created the Departmen
January 9, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
Texas is experiencing a rapid increase in microgrid adoption as extreme weather events, such as Winter Storm Uri in 2021 and Hurricane Beryl in 2024, expose vulnerabilities in the
January 9, 2025
Climate Change
Climate Change
New research highlights the growing prevalence of "weather whiplash," rapid shifts between extreme rain and drought, as a hallmark of climate change. In Los Angeles, this phenomen