Introducing the GHC’s New 2025 Strategic Priorities
Energy Transition Fact-Finding Trip to Denmark
Supporter Welcome
GHC Policy and Regulatory Advocacy
Featured Industry Events
Green Hydrogen in the News
Get Involved: Winning Hearts and Minds Initiative
Support the GHC
1. Introducing the GHC’s New 2025 Strategic Priorities
The GHC is excited to announce several new initiatives for 2024-2025:
1. Electrolytic Hydrogen Working Group
Electrolytic hydrogen production is key to economy-wide decarbonization, given its ability to scale and leverage abundant, low-cost renewable electricity resources. In California, electrolytic hydrogen will be an important production pathway for the ARCHES hub. Key challenges, however, need to be addressed in order to catalyze electrolytic hydrogen’s success, such as access to low-cost, 45V-compliant, grid-supplied renewable electricity, the ability to access very large purpose-built, behind-the-meter renewable generation, and the ability to access compensation for grid benefits that can be delivered by electrolytic hydrogen as a flexible load.
The GHC is launching an Electrolytic Hydrogen Working Group to craft a policy framework that enables access to these needed benefit streams. This Working Group will align on parameters and a pathway forward to achieve successful scaled project deployment as well as engage and cooperate with key stakeholders, including electric utilities, key jurisdictional agencies, and policymakers in California.
2. Biomass-to-Hydrogen in California
Today, municipalities spend millions of taxpayer dollars dealing with waste that cannot be recycled or easily composted, expanding landfills and associated environmental impacts on air and water quality. As a technology-neutral educational nonprofit, the GHC supports leveraging diverse feedstocks to produce renewable hydrogen, including biogas and biomass.
Municipal biomass that cannot be recycled or composted is an abundant renewable feedstock for the production of renewable hydrogen. Diverting this recurring waste stream from landfills toward the production of renewable hydrogen is one way of mitigating its impacts on society.
The GHC is launching a Biomass-to-Hydrogen study in California that aims to:
Establish the Value Proposition: Identify municipal biomass waste that cannot be recycled or composted and quantify the opportunity to convert some portion of this into hydrogen statewide.
Deep dive into the specific opportunities for Biomass-to-Hydrogen in LA County, demonstrating the opportunity, savings, and benefits of converting a portion of LA’s annual ~$2B waste disposal costs into useful, near-term renewable hydrogen, including forecasted hydrogen production cost per kilogram.
3. California Green Ammonia Initiative (CGAI)
Green ammonia can provide a one-for-one replacement for fossil-fuel-based ammonia use in the agricultural sector, serve as an energy carrier for long-duration energy storage, including the international export of clean hydrogen, and operate as a carbon-free fuel alternative for maritime shipping.
With its large agricultural sector critical to its economy, significant existing use of ammonia for fertilizer and industrial refrigeration, deep-water seaports, and ambitious statewide decarbonization goals, California is the ideal state to focus on catalyzing scaled production and offtake of green or renewable ammonia.
The GHC is preparing to launch an initiative in 2025 to evaluate the value proposition and proactively align all stakeholders on a shared vision and roadmap for renewable ammonia production and use in California. The scope of this effort will include its safe use and handling, accelerating deep decarbonization in agriculture, maritime shipping, and industrial refrigeration, and potential applications in the power sector as a long-duration energy storage solution. The GHC will embark on a three-phase initiative alongside strategic partners and interested GHC Supporters:
Phase 1: Establish Initiative Platform, Vision, and Roadmap: Establish an understanding of the existing ammonia industry and develop a vision and enabling actions to promote the growth of a clean ammonia ecosystem in California.
Phase 2: Innovative Project Development: Develop on-the-ground lessons learned based on the deployment of ammonia production and use demonstration projects in conjunction with a robust community benefits plan.
Phase 3: Roadmap Roadshow: Create a policy, regulatory, and strategic communications strategy to build momentum and realize the objectives outlined in the roadmap.
2. Energy Transition Fact-Finding Trip to Denmark
In Fall 2022, the GHC, the Trade Council of Denmark in North America, eleven leading Danish companies, and other key stakeholders established the US-DK Green Hydrogen Alliance to foster greater collaboration and production of green hydrogen on both sides of the Atlantic. Read more here: US-Denmark Green Hydrogen Alliance.
The GHC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark led another Energy Transition fact-finding trip to Denmark from October 27- November 1, 2024. The GHC is thrilled to have invited California stakeholders and policymakers to this international exchange of ideas and to see firsthand some of Denmark’s world-leading green hydrogen and e-fuel infrastructure.
This year’s delegation was comprised of attendees from various key organizations, state agencies, and elected officials:
City of Los Angeles, California
LA World Airports, California
LADWP, Los Angeles, California
CA Energy Commission, California
NREL, Colorado
Le Sueur County, Minnesota
Brown County, New Ulm, Minnesotta
Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Nevada
Lincoln County, Nevada
Desert Research Institute, Reno, Nevada
SixCo, Nevada
Office of the Governor, Critical Investments, Pennsylvania
Greentown Labs, Texas
3. Supporter Welcome
The GHC would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest Supporter, Element One Energy
4. GHC Policy and Regulatory Advocacy
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) Adopts the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) Updates
CARB adopted the proposed LCFS updates last Friday, November 8, with only two noes. The GHC filed supportive comments, testified, and requested changes to the Board's resolution.
Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R-San Diego) issued a critical response. The GHC intends to continue to work with CARB on the implementation of these updates going forward.
California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Update on Motion to Dismiss (MTD) Hydrogen Blending Demonstration Projects: Denied
In December 2022, the CPUC issued D.22-12-057 in Rulemaking (R.) 13-02-008, which directed Southern California Gas Corporation (SoCal Gas), San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E), Southwest Gas Corporation (SW Gas), and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to propose pilot programs that test hydrogen blending in natural gas at concentrations above 0.1 percent.
Fifteen months later, on March 1, 2024, the Joint Applicants (SoCal Gas, SDG&E, SW Gas, and PG&E) sought permission for individual Joint Applicants to undertake a total of five pilot projects that, together, would test the ability of the existing statewide gas infrastructure to transport safely natural gas blended with hydrogen above the level of 0.1 percent.
On July 15, 2024, the Environmental Defense Fund, Sierra Club, Climate Action Campaign, and Utility Consumers’ Action Network filed a MTD. In late October, that MTD was denied.
California passed Proposition 4 during the election, which will fund projects across the state to safeguard drinking water, combat wildfires, protect natural lands, and improve resilience against floods and extreme heat. At least 40% of the funds will be spent to benefit communities considered most harmed by climate change and environmental fallout — prioritizing support for populations that might lack the resources to cope with those impacts.
The Governor is expected to include this funding in his January budget proposal, which means it may be available by the second half of 2025.
The GHC has been busy advocating for the value of green hydrogen to support clean, reliable, and affordable energy systems through regulatory and legislative engagement. Check out the most recent Regulatory Filings for details on our progress:
GHC Founder and President Janice Lin will be moderating the panel, “Hydrogen: Fueling a Sustainable Energy Future in LA County," from 1:30 PM - 2:20 PM PT. Fellow panelists include Janisse Quiñones, CEO & Chief Engineer, LADWP; Eugene Seroka, Executive Director, Port of LA; and Neil Navin, Senior Vice President-Engineering and Major Projects and Chief Clean Fuels Officer, SoCalGas.
Janice will be attending this invite-only workshop bringing together experts, policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders to shape the future of hydrogen research in CA.
The Hydrogen Transition Summit will return for its fifth annual edition as the largest private sector-focused hydrogen event at COP. The Summit will convene 500 key stakeholders across the value chain, including policymakers, business leaders, researchers, project developers, investors, and multilaterals.
Receive 25% off using the discount code "GHC25OFF."
Janice Lin will be speaking on the plenary panel, “Aligning Your Project with Ammonia Customers," on December 4 from 12:05 - 12:45 CT. Fellow panelists include Naoki Tsutsumi, Chief Strategy Officer, JERA Americas; and Vikrant Prakash, Head of Energy & Houston, Société Générale.
Reuters Events: Hydrogen North America 2024 unites regional leaders fostering collaboration across energy, supply chain, and state and federal level legislators to finance hydrogen projects, reduce costs, and build projects in line with policy guidance.
Companies that have already RSVP’d:
Linde
bp
Plug Power
SoCalGas
NextEra Energy
KeyState Energy
Air Liquide
Woodside
Dominion Energy
Attendees will include professionals in roles such as:
7. Get Involved: Winning Hearts and Minds Initiative
The GHC is working hard to advance education, policy, and market growth for green hydrogen. Our efforts to educate the public and policymakers on its benefits and dispel misconceptions rely on initiative and individual support.
The GHC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit public benefit corporation with a mission to advance green hydrogen at scale to accelerate multi-sectoral decarbonization.
Join us and our supporters as we create a clean energy future for all.
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