Energy regulators can manage hydrogen uncertainty with wide lens of awareness

Energy regulators face a dilemma between risking stranded assets through over-investment in hydrogen or stifling growth through excessive caution. To ensure affordable, reliable, and safe energy services, regulators must look beyond their core jurisdictions to understand how hydrogen interacts with electricity and gas systems, safety risks, and external policy factors like emissions accounting and water usage.

• Energy regulators face a significant risk balance: approving too many investments may lead to stranded assets and higher customer costs, while being too reactive could hinder the growth of the hydrogen industry.
• Hydrogen production via electrolyzers creates new electricity demand but can also provide demand flexibility and seasonal energy storage to complement wind and solar power.
• While some natural gas companies view hydrogen as a heat source for buildings and industry, technical evidence indicates its ability to decarbonize low-temperature heat is very limited, particularly through blending into existing networks.
• Hydrogen presents unique safety and chemical challenges compared to methane, requiring regulators to ensure that repurposing natural gas infrastructure does not endanger people or damage equipment.
• The viability and growth of the hydrogen industry are influenced by external factors including emissions accounting schemes, local air pollution from nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, and regional water availability for electrolysis and cooling.

APA

Energy Innovation (n.d.). Energy regulators can manage hydrogen uncertainty with wide lens of awareness. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Regulating-Hydrogen-fact-sheet.pdf

Chicago

Energy Innovation. Energy regulators can manage hydrogen uncertainty with wide lens of awareness. n.d. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Regulating-Hydrogen-fact-sheet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Energy Innovation |title=Energy regulators can manage hydrogen uncertainty with wide lens of awareness |url=https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Regulating-Hydrogen-fact-sheet.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{energyinnovationndenergy, author = {{Energy Innovation}}, title = {{Energy regulators can manage hydrogen uncertainty with wide lens of awareness}}, institution = {Energy Innovation}, url = {https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Regulating-Hydrogen-fact-sheet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }