hub
Newsletter
Credit: Jordan González/Unsplash+
SoCalGas plans hydrogen blending test in Orange Cove
Southern California Gas Co. aims to blend hydrogen into the gas lines of Orange Cove, a predominantly Latino community, to lower greenhouse gas emissions after wealthier areas rejected the plan.
In short:
- SoCalGas will test a hydrogen-natural gas blend in Orange Cove to reduce climate emissions, involving low-income farmworker residents.
- Risks include increased nitrogen oxide pollution and hydrogen leaks, with monitoring planned to mitigate dangers.
- Critics argue the experiment offers minimal climate benefits and exploits a vulnerable community.
Key quote:
“Disengagement creates a breeding ground where things like this happen, where people don’t know there is a hydrogen blending plant planned for the community.”
— Genoveva Islas, founder and executive director of Cultiva la Salud
Why this matters:
Hydrogen blending is part of California's strategy to cut emissions, but the project raises concerns about safety and fairness in using disadvantaged communities for environmental experiments. Critics argue that the benefits may not justify the risks and that more effective emission reduction methods exist.
Keep reading...Show less
Newsletter
Credit: MonaMakela/Big Stock Photo
Rethinking Pennsylvania's hydrogen hub and its public backlash
In a sharp rebuke to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's support for a federally-funded "hydrogen hub," activists, led by Delaware Riverkeeper Maya van Rossum, demand more community engagement, raising concerns over environmental and health impacts.
In short:
- The Biden administration's endorsement of hydrogen hubs aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but skeptics warn of potential environmental harm and increased fossil fuel dependency.
- Despite promises of job creation and emission mitigation, the project's reliance on potentially controversial energy sources, like fracked natural gas, has ignited opposition.
- Community members express frustration over limited access to planning discussions, fearing their neighborhoods will bear the brunt of the project's environmental and health consequences.
Key quote:
"The Department of Energy said that community engagement is supposed to be a highest priority. You have yet to have a meeting with the impacted community members to hear what they have to say."
— Maya van Rossum, Delaware Riverkeeper
Why this matters:
Hydrogen hubs can spur job creation in new and transitioning industries, ranging from green hydrogen production to its application in transportation, manufacturing, and energy storage. But the impacts on local communities also warrant careful consideration, including the need for inclusive decision-making processes that involve local stakeholders.
Seth Mullendore writes that those holding up carbon capture and hydrogen as new climate solutions are leading us down the wrong path.
Keep reading...Show less
Newsletter
Big Stock Photo
What to know about DOE's hydrogen hubs
On Friday, the Department of Energy named the seven winners of $7 billion in federal funds to establish regional hydrogen hubs. The hubs — funded through the infrastructure law — are part of the administration’s efforts to jump-start an industry it sees as key to achieving climate goals.
Big Stock Photo
What to know about DOE's hydrogen hubs
On Friday, the Department of Energy named the seven winners of $7 billion in federal funds to establish regional hydrogen hubs. The hubs — funded through the infrastructure law — are part of the administration’s efforts to jump-start an industry it sees as key to achieving climate goals.
ORIGINAL REPORTING
MOST POPULAR
CLIMATE
