Sparks fly in Austin as city energy leaders propose a high-tech pivot to hydrogen power, raising eyebrows and the hackles of environmental watchdogs. At a recent Electric Utility Commission panel, experts blasted Austin Energy’s plan to build a gas plant that burns so-called "green hydrogen." This controversial move comes amidst the city's goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035, a goal which has propelled Austin Energy towards embracing wind, and solar, and the scaling up of infrastructure to welcome an oncoming fleet of electric vehicles.
Yet, the allure of federal incentives, which could include a tax credit of up to $3 per kilogram of green hydrogen produced, is strong, fueling proposals like Austin Energy’s plan for a hydrogen-capable combined cycle power plant. This plant aims to be a "bridge solution" that would eventually transition from burning natural gas as well as, hydrogen to solely harnessing clean hydrogen—despite the technology being in its infancy. Critics, however, have voiced concern over the plan's feasibility and potential environmental impact, warning of issues like the plant's hefty water usage, costly transmission challenges due to hydrogen's small molecular size, and unwanted nitrogen oxide byproduct emissions.
Abbe Ramanan from the Clean Energy Group, as quoted in the Austin Monitor, estimated the proposed plant’s daily water needs to be a staggering nearly 1,127,699 gallons, particularly alarming as the city struggles with its second year of drought. “That’s actually why Clean Energy Group initially got involved in hydrogen combustion in the first place,” Ramanan said, “because studies have shown hydrogen produces nearly six times as much nitrogen oxide as methane when combusted.”
As the city flirts with failing air quality standards, the nitrogen oxide emissions serve to underline the concerns, mirroring uneasy histories in communities living in the shadows of natural gas plants. Patrick Drupp of Sierra Club noted the specificity necessary when considering green hydrogen's role in the economy's decarbonization efforts. "At Sierra Club, we think that hydrogen can potentially play a role in our economy’s decarbonization efforts, particularly in sectors like aviation and shipping where electrification isn’t currently an option, but the devil is really in the details," Drupp said, according to the Austin Monitor. "We feel that baseload power really is not a good use for green hydrogen." The utility commission is set to come back with a formal recommendation on the proposal next month, leaving Austin residents and environmentalists on edge.
