Hydrogen production in Utah? SB 62 proposes council for hydrogen-related decisions

File photo of a Toyota Motor Corp.'s hydrogen fuel cell vehicle Mirai as it arrives at a charge station near Toyota's showroom in Tokyo. Utah is among four Rocky Mountain states that announced plans Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022, to cooperate on making the most abundant element in the universe, hydrogen, more readily available and useful as fuel for cars, trucks and industry | AP Photo by Shizuo Kambayashi, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A Utah senator is seeking to create a hydrogen advisory council to guide the state in making decisions concerning the new industry and technology.

Sen. David P. Hinkins at the Utah Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee discussing 2023’s SB 62, Salt Lake City, Utah Jan. 19, 2023 | Video still courtesy of the Utah State Legislature, St. George News

The bill, dubbed SB 62 for the 2023 legislative session, would establish a hydrogen advisory council, consisting of seven to nine members, under the Utah Office of Energy Development to advise on hydrogen-related issues. The department’s executive director will appoint members.

While hydrogen energy is a new industry, “it could be a part of the future of Utah,” Utah Sen. David P. Hinkins, the bill’s sponsor, told St. George News.

One project the state is working on is to install a regional hydrogen hub, according to the Western Inter-States Hydrogen Hub memorandum of understanding with Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico. The project will rely on federal funds allocated from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Because federal dollars are in play and the technology is new, Hinkins said Utah should rely on experts who could put in an appropriation request to the U.S. Department of Energy to support building distribution sites for hydrogen energy.

Additionally, Hinkins said the state should invest in production to lower the price of hydrogen energy to make it more competitive with regular gasoline and to avoid creating a “burden” for Utahns.

The Utah Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee discusses 2023’s SB 62, Salt Lake City, Utah Jan. 19, 2023 | Video still courtesy of the Utah State Legislature, St. George News

“It is a cleaner burning fuel,” he said. “But what do we do to get it to be in the price range of petroleum?”

Most hydrogen is produced via steam-methane reforming, which involves “producing hydrogen from a methane source, such as natural gas,” according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The process produces hydrogen but also creates a small amount of carbon dioxide.

This could be a concern for environmentalists as the leftover carbon would need to be dealt with to avoid putting it in the atmosphere, Hinkins said. One solution that’s being considered is to use the byproduct Co2 for soda machines.

“Put it in your belly,” he said.

Hinkins hopes to gather “masterminds” to work on these issues and others so the state governments do not “get involved in investing in something that ends up being a real failure – we don’t want to see that happen.”

“We would hope that our constituents will rely on the same group that we are … and that they will have a way to have public input,” he said.

File photo shows a test well pumping out water at the Pine Valley Water Supply Project site, about 50 miles northwest of Cedar City, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Central Iron County Water Conservancy District, St. George News / Cedar City News

The bill was heard in the Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee on Jan. 19. During the meeting, private citizen Chelcie Hope expressed concern about the amount of water that would be consumed during the hydrogen production process while citizens are asked to reduce water use and “feeling the brunt of this conservation.”

“We’re being forced to conserve,” she said. “And we have these conservation efforts really being forced on us and we’re really feeling it.”

Researchers explored the question of hydrogen production’s water demand in a 2021 article published by the American Chemical Society Publications. They found that in 2014, power generation and energy production from fossil fuels consumed 251 billion cubic meters of fresh water, with an additional 31 billion cubic meters used for cooling, mining, refining and hydraulic fracturing.

Comparatively, 20.5 billion cubic meters of water would be consumed to produce enough hydrogen to meet its estimated demand in the future — a 33% reduction from current uses.

“It is apparent that using hydrogen as a method to reach a renewable energy society will lead to drastic water savings, not expenditures,” the article reads.

Additionally, vehicles powered by hydrogen emit water vapor and warm air instead of tailpipe emissions, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Stock image of a hydrogen gas facility | Photo courtesy of Audio und werbung/Shutterstock, St. George News

Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) are powered by hydrogen. They are more efficient than conventional internal combustion engine vehicles and produce no tailpipe emissions —they only emit water vapor and warm air.

Additionally, Hope said that Utah is “becoming a global hub for a lot of things,” and she’s concerned that the Utah Legislature is more concerned with state and global issues than Utahns.

“Our state legislation is meant to take care of the needs that are best for the people of Utah and to worry about Utah alone,” she said.

The advisory council members have not yet been picked but Hinkins said they are interested in working with people from a wide spectrum of experiences and knowledge.

According to the bill, the council will include individuals with expertise in hydrogen energy, hydrogen project facilities, technology suppliers, hydrogen producers or processors, fossil fuel-based hydrogen feedstock and renewable and fossil-based power generation.

Members will serve a four-year term, with appointments staggered to ensure that approximately half of them will be appointed biennially, according to the bill.

Utah State Capitol Building in Salt Lake City, date not specified | Photo by Clayton Andersen/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

The council would have numerous duties, including encouraging cooperation with other states with hydrogen programs, recommending realistic goals for hydrogen development and promoting hydrogen research at Utah-based higher education institutions.

The bill would cost $1,600 in 2023 and $6,200 in both 2024 and 2025. According to the fiscal note, the legislation would not likely result in direct, measurable costs for local governments. Additionally, it would likely not create direct expenditures from tax or fee changes or a change in the regulatory burden for Utahns and businesses.

The bill received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee and passed its second reading in the Utah Senate, with 24 yeses, one no and four absent. It will be read on the Senate floor a third time.

To read the bill in full, click here. Those interested can watch the committee discussion on Utah State Legislature’s website.


Check out all of St. George News’ coverage of the 2023 Utah Legislature here.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

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