New Study: Hydrogen produced from natural gas delivers significant U.S. emissions reductions

The American Petroleum Institute (API) released new analysis on the benefits of low-carbon hydrogen produced from natural gas. The study, commissioned by API and conducted by ICF, found that hydrogen produced from natural gas with carbon capture and produced from electricity and other energy sources could eliminate an additional 180 MM metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on average per year through 2050 and save over $450 B cumulatively through 2050 when hydrogen incentives are uniformly provided based on a per ton of GHG emissions reduced. 

“Our industry is committed to advancing innovative technologies like low-carbon hydrogen, which are crucial to reducing GHG emissions economy wide,” said API Vice President of Corporate Policy Aaron Padilla. “Working together with policymakers to incentivize all forms of low-carbon hydrogen and accelerate hydrogen production through programs under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we can drive down emissions while ensuring American consumers have access to the reliable energy they need.” 

API analysis of the study’s finding show that uniform incentives for producing hydrogen from natural gas, electricity and other energy sources are critical to meeting the U.S. Department of Energy goal of 50 MMT of clean hydrogen produced by 2050, as laid out in the recently published National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap.

Highlights from the report include: 

• Larger Hydrogen Market: When every ton of emission reductions are incentivized the same, the U.S. hydrogen market could be three times larger by 2050 than when emission reductions are treated unequally (i.e., hydrogen market could be 15% of total end use energy consumption in 2050 versus 4% of total end use energy consumption in 2050). 
• Larger GHG Emission Reductions: The larger hydrogen economy resulting from uniform incentives could avoid an additional 183 million metric tons of U.S. GHG emissions on average per year through 2050 than if incentives were unevenly implemented by taking advantage of low-cost options, like hydrogen produced from natural gas with carbon capture. Enabling incentives for all hydrogen production is equivalent to eliminating the emissions from more than 38 million cars annually, according to API analysis.
• Less Costly Emission Reductions: Uniform incentives could reduce the cost of mitigating a metric ton of carbon by an average of 12% annually over the study period, saving over $450 billion cumulatively through 2050.    

The study found that critical hydrogen infrastructure, like hydrogen storage, pipelines and local distribution systems, will be required to unleash hydrogen’s potential to contribute to significant GHG emissions reductions. Capital investment in hydrogen infrastructure projects could exceed $400 billion by 2050 and include the construction of 67,000 miles of hydrogen transmission pipeline, 500,000 miles of customer laterals and local distribution company pipeline/service lines, and 560 trillion Btu of hydrogen underground storage capacity.

Click here to view the full report.

API represents all segments of America’s natural gas and oil industry, which supports more than 11 MM U.S. jobs and is backed by a growing grassroots movement of millions of Americans. Our approximately 600 members produce, process and distribute the majority of the nation’s energy, and participate in API Energy Excellence, which is accelerating environmental and safety progress by fostering new technologies and transparent reporting. API was formed in 1919 as a standards-setting organization and has developed more than 800 standards to enhance operational and environmental safety, efficiency and sustainability.

ICF is a non-partisan, non-political company that delivers independent, objective analyses.  Its report does not constitute ICF’s endorsement of any policy or advocacy position. ICF’s report was based on a certain set of assumptions and data; actual future results may differ materially from those presented in the report and ICF makes no warranties in connection therewith. Further restrictions are noted in the report itself.

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