Renewable hydrogen is made by passing renewable electricity through water to separate H₂O into hydrogen and oxygen. Instead of fossil fuels, renewable hydrogen uses surplus wind and solar energy to create hydrogen that can be used for power generation, transportation fuel and industrial processes. 

There are many potential uses for hydrogen fuels. However, if we are going to meet our emission reduction targets, it will be important to leverage the best uses of many different low-emission energy sources. 

For example, solar and wind energy are great technologies for producing clean energy but when it is cloudy or there is little wind, production slows. Similarly, when it is windy or sunny sometimes supply can exceed demand. 

That is where hydrogen comes in. Excess wind and solar can be used to create hydrogen that can be stored to generate clean energy on those cloudy days or during periods of peak demand.

Renewable hydrogen production uses modest amounts of water compared with other fuels. Roughly four gallons of water are needed to make a kilogram of hydrogen, and about half the water is used to create an equivalent amount of gasoline for transportation.

One-half to two-thirds of the water used in production is regenerated when hydrogen is consumed at the point of use and released as pure water through vehicle tailpipes or collection systems.

The US currently handles ten million metric tons of hydrogen annually, at least as safe, if not more so, as other fuels.  Just like we have for natural gas and propane, safety precautions are already in place for hydrogen. Hydrogen is highly flammable but also non-toxic, colorless and odorless. Higher pressures in hydrogen vehicles and fueling stations call for enhanced safety precautions, such as two-way communication between the fueling pump and vehicle fuel tank, along with sensitive leak detection and monitoring. 

According to NASA climate scientists, “Some people mistakenly believe water vapor is the main driver of Earth’s current warming. But increased water vapor doesn’t cause global warming. Instead, it’s a consequence of it.” 

Carbon dioxide from human emissions is responsible for a third of the Earth’s warming. Eliminating carbon emissions remains the most critical policy objective to reduce the impacts of climate change. 

Renewable hydrogen can help reduce or eliminate carbon emissions from energy-intensive sectors of the economy like transportation, power generation and industrial processes.