Shift Key with Robinson Meyer and Jesse Jenkins

A Beginner’s Guide to the Hydrogen Economy

Jan 15, 2025

Delve into the world of hydrogen and its potential to combat climate change. Explore the complex relationship between hydrogen production, decarbonization, and the evolving energy landscape. Discover the challenges of shipping hydrogen and the economic implications of U.S. policies like the hydrogen tax credit. Learn how hydrogen could transform industries while navigating the international competition and strategies shaping its future. The conversation also touches on innovative approaches in extraction and the properties that make hydrogen both promising and problematic.

01:11:37

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Quick takeaways

Hydrogen is essential for decarbonizing industrial processes, especially in producing clean steel and chemicals, amid fierce competition with electrification.

The dynamics of hydrogen production involve various methods and challenges, including cost, emissions, and the necessity for innovation in cleaner technologies.

Recent U.S. policies, like the Inflation Reduction Act, aim to boost hydrogen demand through subsidies, yet may risk unintended environmental consequences.

Deep dives

The Role of Hydrogen in Decarbonization

Hydrogen is considered a vital component in the effort to decarbonize various sectors of the economy. As a carbon-free energy carrier, it has the potential to replace fossil fuels in applications such as heating, power generation, and chemical production. For instance, hydrogen can be utilized in industrial processes, specifically in the production of fertilizers and steel, where it replaces more carbon-intensive feedstocks. However, while hydrogen is praised for its versatility, it is crucial to balance its use with electrification and other alternatives to ensure it is employed effectively in the decarbonization process.

Intro

2min

Hydrogen's Role in a Changing Climate

10min

Hydrogen's Role in Decarbonization

17min

Navigating the Hydrogen Economy: Industrial Insights and Policy Implications

3min

Navigating the Hydrogen Economy

21min

Hydrogen: Properties, Challenges, and Potential

13min

BYD's Global Surge

4min

Potential Offshore Wind Ban Discussion

2min

Hydrogen. What are you even supposed to think about it? If you’ve spent serious time focusing on climate policy, you’ve heard the hype about hydrogen — about the miraculous things that it might do to eliminate carbon pollution from cars, power plants, steel mills, or more. You’ve also seen that hype fizzle out — even as governments have poured billions of dollars into making it work.

On this week’s episode of Shift Key, Rob and Jesse give you a rough guide for how to think about clean hydrogen, which could help decarbonize the industrial — even the molecular — side of the economy by storing energy and helping to make clean steel and chemicals. Do we really need hydrogen to fight climate change? Where would it be useful? And why has it failed to take off in the past? What will Trump and China mean for global hydrogen policy? Shift Key is hosted by Robinson Meyer, the founding executive editor of Heatmap, and Jesse Jenkins, a professor of energy systems engineering at Princeton University.

Mentioned:

How the Haber-Bosch process was transferred after WWI

There’s Something for (Almost) Everyone in the Hydrogen Tax Credit Rules

The Hydrogen Ladder

Why it’s so hard to ship hydrogen

The hydrogen tax credit could have had unintended emission consequences — here’s the study about why

Jesse on why Biden’s hydrogen rules are on the right track

Jesse’s upshift; Rob’s downshift.

This episode of Shift Key is sponsored by …

Intersolar & Energy Storage North America is the premier U.S.-based conference and trade show focused on solar, energy storage, and EV charging infrastructure. To learn more, visit intersolar.us.

Music for Shift Key is by Adam Kromelow.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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