Climate One De-Hyping Hydrogen
Oct 10, 2025
Joe Romm, a clean energy policy expert and author, discusses the shifting narrative around hydrogen's role in clean energy. Eleanor Smith, a community organizer for the Navajo Nation, shares her concerns about a proposed hydrogen pipeline and its historical context of fossil fuel exploitation. Hilary Lewis, who focuses on green steel solutions, explains how hydrogen can revolutionize steel production while navigating current challenges. Together, they explore hydrogen's efficiency, competition from electrification, and its niche applications in industry.
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Efficiency Advantage Of Direct Electrification
- Joe Romm compares efficiency: battery EVs keep ~80% of renewable electricity while hydrogen pathways may deliver ~20%.
- He argues that fourfold efficiency loss makes hydrogen unlikely to beat direct electrification.
Cheap Renewables Strengthen The Alternative
- Falling renewable costs lowered green hydrogen costs but also strengthened hydrogen's chief competitor: direct renewable use.
- Joe Romm argues cheaper renewables don't make hydrogen comparatively more attractive.
Sequence Renewable Deployment Strategically
- Prioritize using renewables to directly replace fossil-fuel electricity and transport before making hydrogen.
- Then use renewables for vehicles and heat pumps, saving hydrogen for niches without alternatives.
