Swipe right to learn the basics about hydrogen and its impacts.

Hydrogen is a proposed alternative to fossil fuels that is often claimed to be clean because it releases water rather than greenhouse gases when burned. Green hydrogen is made using renewable energy sources like solar and wind power.

Gas companies are planning to blend hydrogen into the gas that’s piped to our homes and businesses, saying that it will “decarbonize” the gas system, but the facts show:

• Most hydrogen is not good for the climate. Nearly 100% of hydrogen is made from fossil fuels. Even more fracked gas or coal is needed to make this fossil hydrogen energy than if we used the gas, oil, or coal directly.

• Hydrogen is an indirect greenhouse gas and contributes to warming our planet.

• Heating with hydrogen increases rather than lowers emissions. Hydrogen is a highly leaky gas that prolongs the life of other climate-warming emissions and is overall 200 times more warming than carbon dioxide.

• Making green hydrogen wastes the solar and wind we need for clean electricity.

• Diverting precious renewable sources to make hydrogen for blending into “natural” gas in pipelines and for heating buildings is inefficient, more expensive, and requires continued use of fracked gas in pipelines and homes.

• Heating and cooking with hydrogen is not safe or healthy.

• Hydrogen is much more explosive than “natural” gas and creates almost invisible flames. Burning hydrogen also releases more indoor air pollution than fracked gas.

• Heating with hydrogen is not equitable. Using hydrogen for heating means that those unable to afford to electrify their homes will be the ones paying more to burn explosive, polluting gases in their homes.

• We want policies that incentivize weatherization, energy conservation, heat pumps, and thermal networks, NOT hydrogen or biofuels.

• In Vermont, hydrogen produced from in-state solar and wind must be limited to:

  • Use only on the site where it is produced and for hard to electrify uses such as high-heat industrial processes.

  • On-site storage for excess solar and wind energy to be turned into electricity on-site when needed (and then transmitted as electricity).