DISTINGUISHING OIL & GAS INDUSTRY SPIN FROM ZERO-EMISSION SOLUTIONS

The report analyzes the role of hydrogen in the energy transition, contrasting 'green hydrogen' (produced via renewable-powered electrolysis) with the current industry standard of steam methane reformation (SMR) from fossil fuels. It warns that the oil and gas industry uses hydrogen rhetoric to justify continued fossil fuel infrastructure and delay electrification. The authors argue that green hydrogen should be reserved for 'hard-to-electrify' sectors like maritime shipping and high-heat industrial processes, while being rejected for use in passenger vehicles, home appliances, and gas-fired power plants due to energy inefficiency, high costs, and pollution risks.

• The vast majority of current hydrogen production is carbon-intensive and harmful to public health. In the United States, nearly all of the annual supply—approximately 10 million metric tons—is produced from fossil gas using steam methane reformation (SMR), a process that emits greenhouse gases and pollutants like nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds.
• Green hydrogen, defined as hydrogen produced using 100% renewable electricity to split water molecules, is currently the only established method for producing hydrogen without greenhouse gas emissions. Other industry terms like 'clean' or 'renewable' often include polluting pathways, such as those using biomethane credits or carbon capture (blue hydrogen), which the report argues are incompatible with a zero-emission future.
• Green hydrogen is significantly less efficient and more expensive than direct electrification. Converting renewable electricity to hydrogen results in energy losses of 20% to 40%. For example, hydrogen-based low-temperature heating systems in buildings consume 500% to 600% more renewable energy than heat pumps.
• The fossil fuel industry is actively lobbying for 'all-of-the-above' hydrogen strategies to protect existing assets. This includes promoting the blending of hydrogen into existing gas grids and the retrofitting of gas-fired power plants, which the report characterizes as tactics to delay the transition to all-electric alternatives.
• Hydrogen combustion poses significant air quality risks. Burning pure hydrogen can emit more than six times as much nitrogen oxide (NOx) as burning methane, and blending hydrogen into gas turbines can increase NOx concentrations in exhaust by 35%.
• Existing gas distribution infrastructure is largely incompatible with pure hydrogen. Hydrogen can cause 'embrittlement' in steel pipes and leaks at three times the rate of methane. Most residential gas appliances cannot safely burn pure hydrogen due to explosion risks, with a practical blending limit of around 20-25% by volume.
• The report identifies the most promising 'least-regrets' use for green hydrogen as displacing fossil-derived hydrogen currently used as an industrial feedstock. Other sectors to explore with caution include maritime shipping, aviation, high-heat industrial processes (above 400C), and long-haul heavy-duty transport.
• Hydrogen is not a viable solution for passenger cars, buses, or regional trucks. Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) are cheaper to purchase and operate, and require 2 to 3 times less renewable energy than fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

APA

Saadat, S., & Gersen, S. (2021). DISTINGUISHING OIL & GAS INDUSTRY SPIN FROM ZERO-EMISSION SOLUTIONS. Earthjustice. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/hydrogen_earthjustice_2021.pdf

Chicago

Saadat, Sasan, and Sara Gersen. DISTINGUISHING OIL & GAS INDUSTRY SPIN FROM ZERO-EMISSION SOLUTIONS. Earthjustice, 2021. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/hydrogen_earthjustice_2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Saadat |first1=Sasan |last2=Gersen |first2=Sara |title=DISTINGUISHING OIL & GAS INDUSTRY SPIN FROM ZERO-EMISSION SOLUTIONS |publisher=Earthjustice |date=1 August 2021 |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/hydrogen_earthjustice_2021.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{saadat2021distinguishing, author = {Saadat, Sasan and Gersen, Sara}, title = {{DISTINGUISHING OIL \& GAS INDUSTRY SPIN FROM ZERO-EMISSION SOLUTIONS}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, year = {2021}, month = aug, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/hydrogen_earthjustice_2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }