The Western Interstate Hydrogen Hub is a coalition of states – New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming – that signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this year to develop a regional clean hydrogen hub to compete for funds in federally designated infrastructure for hydrogen development. The new paper outlines a preliminary concept for establishing “safe, clean and sustainable” hydrogen production, as well as for transporting, storing and using the fuel “across the Mountain West and beyond. “
Based on data from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, “WISHH estimates that our region’s hydrogen economy will create more than 10,000 high-quality employment opportunities,” according to the concept paper.
A separate feasibility study is currently investigating the potential for a green hydrogen production facility at Questa, but few details have been released about the study’s outlook. The former mining community was not identified in any of the maps or materials included in the public version of the WISHH concept paper, which was redacted before its release.
Chevron owns the water rights and land adjacent to Questa where a green hydrogen facility will be built, along with Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, which can supply renewable solar energy to power a hydrogen production facility – thus making it “green.” The Village of Questa and the Questa Economic Development Fund are among the partners that participated in the feasibility study. Questa Mayor John Ortega and Kit Carson CEO Luis Reyes did not respond to requests for comment.
Because green hydrogen production also requires water, Chevron’s water rights — a legacy of the company’s now-closed Questa molybdenum mine — are likely to play a key role in any future facility. of green hydrogen in the area. However, Chevron is arguing with the State Engineer’s Office that a significant portion of its water rights have been declared invalid by the state because the water has not been used profitably for years.
Chevron declined to comment on the progress of the feasibility study, telling the Taos News in a statement this week that, “while Chevron cannot speak directly to potential commercial activity related to renewable energy at this time, we are continuing to make surplus land and water rights associated with the former Questa mine available for economic development in the Village of Questa and surrounding communities.”
“Additionally,” the statement continued, “we continue to engage in good faith negotiations with the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer to make our over-judged and valid water rights available for the Village of Questa and local economic development initiatives.”
Through the Wyoming Energy Authority, WISHH has engaged Atkins Nuclear Solutions to serve as the prime contractor for the clean hydrogen hub, according to a release from the Department of the Environment on Dec. 1. The Western Interstate Hydrogen Hub, Atkins, several utilities and partners in industry drafted the concept paper as an initial stage of work in preparation for the full coalition application to the Department of Energy, which is due in early 2023.
“Atkins laid out an initial framework for the western hydrogen economy, emphasizing that the Mountain West is strategically located between the east and west coast hydrogen markets and has abundant renewable energy and blue-chip capabilities. of hydrogen,” the Department of the Environment release continued, referring to hydrogen that comes from natural gas methane, not water. The difference between “blue” hydrogen and “gray” hydrogen is that the carbon dioxide produced during the production process of blue hydrogen is captured and stored, usually by injecting it underground, while the gray hydrogen production releases CO2 into the atmosphere.
There are many other classifications of hydrogen production, including “yellow” hydrogen, which is similar to what Questa proposed, but relies on fossil fuel-powered electricity to run electrolyzers to split water molecules into oxygen. and hydrogen. Hydrogen projects that rely on a mix of renewable and fossil fuel energy sources are sometimes marked in yellow.
The electrolysis process itself does not generate any emissions, and when electrolyzers are powered by renewable energy sources such as solar or wind, the resulting hydrogen is considered 100 percent clean energy. Reyes told the Taos News in September that Kit Carson recently signed an agreement to buy wind-generated electricity produced in Colorado.
“WISHH is well positioned to build and scale clean hydrogen production, distribution, storage, and use, while advancing the goals of Justice40 and Energy Equity and Environmental Justice and creating job opportunities across region in four states in the coming decades,” according to a Department of Environment release. “As the market for clean hydrogen in the region matures, the investments proposed will create the backbone infrastructure to reduce greenhouse gas pollution from end-users where hydrogen may be the most cost-effective fuel, including use for heavy-duty vehicles and industrial facilities.DOE’s full application will build on this initial framework with input from additional stakeholders, companies and partners.
According to WISHH’s concept paper, “The main features of our hub include: seven [text redacted] 10 years; a leading producer and user of agricultural applications with a focus on sustainable farming; projects that provide certainty of near-term use to stimulate the development of additional hydrogen production with pathways to hard-to-phase sectors; the investment in the private sector exceeds our request for $1.0-1.25 billion in [federal] Funding Bipartisan Infrastructure Law; using most of this hydrogen to produce electricity, gradually changing existing power plants from natural gas and coal to a mixture of hydrogen and natural gas, supporting renewable energy development , with a goal of zero-carbon power powered by hydrogen within 15 years; increased end-uses, including residential and transportation and, over time, industrial uses; and full integration of Equity, Environmental and Energy Justice priorities, Justice40, workforce development, and all other federal requirements.”
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham strongly emphasized the benefits of clean hydrogen development for New Mexico, and James Kenney, Cabinet Secretary for the New Mexico Environment Department, said that the “bipartisan collaboration of the states of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming positions us as a strong contender. for federal hydrogen hub funding to further our clean hydrogen efforts.”
“New Mexico and our western state partners are leading the way in developing sustainable clean hydrogen markets that will grow our economy, employ our workforce, and continue to reduce renewable emissions. of the climate,” Kenney said.
“New Mexico and our western state partners are building sustainable clean hydrogen markets that will increase economic growth, fair trade for our workforce, and continue to reduce renewable emissions. of climate,” said Maddy Hayden, acting communications director for the office of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, said on a Nov. 22 press release from the Wyoming Energy Authority. “We are proud of our bipartisan collaboration with Colorado, Utah and Wyoming in seeking federal hydrogen hub funding to further our clean hydrogen efforts.”
