| |JULY 20248E ERGYTech ReviewBy Doug Kilmer, Vice President, Resource Management, Renewables Delivery Team, TRC CompaniesHYDROGEN ­ TOMORROW'S ENERGY TODAY Newly available federal funding initiatives and aggressive decarbonization goals across a range of industries are driving the current surging interest in advancing a hydrogen-based economy. Hydrogen's scalability and flexibility as an energy carrier make it an important asset for the decarbonization of traditionally hard-to-decarbonize heavy industrial and transportation-related emission sources that will be required to meet mid-century global warming targets.The growth of the hydrogen market is evidenced by private sector investment in a variety of global-scale hydrogen production projects across the United States. These early investors in hydrogen technology are being flanked by additional billions of investments through the Infrastructure Investment and Hydrogen is a hot topic of discussion in the energy industry today, with much debate about whether it is ready for deployment now. Hydrogen's scalability and flexibility make it a pragmatic choice for a variety of successful applications in both the near term and long term, but can it be viable energy solution that addresses today's decarbonization concerns?Hydrogen Types and Use ApplicationsDetailing the rainbow of hydrogen types can be a lengthy discussion, but the two primary types available today are `blue' (from fossil fuel with carbon capture and sequestration) and `green' (from water). Either one can meet the US Department of Energy (DOE) definition of "clean hydrogen" produced with a carbon intensity of less than 2 kg CO2e per kg of hydrogen produced. Many hydrogen production projects are rapidly coming online, but as in all markets, it is the consumer that will decide successes and failures. This usually means the most cost-effective solution will advance.Hydrogen end-users vary widely. Often referred to as an energy carrier, hydrogen has diverse applications including power generation, energy storage, industrial processes and transportation. The main uses today include petroleum refining and fertilizer production, but hydrogen is primed and ready to support rapidly expanding markets and applications.Doug KilmerIN MY OPINION
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