(443e) Utility Perspectives on the Hydrogen Economy

Hydrogen is poised to become a preferred energy carrier in a deeply decarbonized energy future. While today's utilities make, move, or sell today's energy carriers of electricity and natural gas, future utilities may include hydrogen. This talk will focus on potential roles for today's utilities as they contemplate energy carriers of the future. It includes a survey of hydrogen production, not only from conventional steam methane reforming or coal gasification, but also technologies such as advanced electrolysis, methane thermolysis, water photolysis, and thermochemical hydrogen production cycles. It will discuss hydrogen delivery, a potential future of spatial and transient energy storage using hydrogen, the emergence of a hydrogen economy, and roles for hydrogen to provide clean energy in the near-term. Finally, the hydrogen economy will be contrasted against alternative future scenarios.