Navigating a New Definition on Green Hydrogen Production
Green hydrogen has emerged as a promising contender in the race to decarbonize our energy systems – including energy storage, heavy industry and hard to abate sectors, maritime shipping, and aviation. This kind of hydrogen is unique in that it’s produced using renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, or hydropower, through a process called electrolysis, that generates zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Scaling green hydrogen
The importance of scaling green hydrogen was not lost on the US government – and at the end of last year, the Treasury Department released its much anticipated guidance on the Section 45V tax credit for clean hydrogen production – built largely on the three pillars approach of incrementality, regionality, and temporal matching. These three elements focus on how to best account for the tricky calculations for lifecycle emissions of hydrogen production per the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model and would be enforced through “energy attribute certificates” (EACs).
Without these more stringent guardrails that clean hydrogen advocates were seeking, there was significant risk of the Section 45V credit generating increasing emissions. This guidance has indeed ruffled feathers for some in the power industry – upset about the lack of flexibility of the current plan going forward and if this rigidness will stymie more development of green hydrogen resources at scale. Although stricter, having these requirements laid out will help put the green hydrogen sector on the right path from the get-go.
In 2024, green hydrogen stands at the forefront of sustainable energy solutions, the importance of getting the definition right cannot be overstated, as it shapes policies, drives investments, and propels us towards a cleaner and brighter tomorrow.
The role of PR in supporting green hydrogen
The Silverline team provides insightful research to help renewable energy companies stay in the loop on these important sector developments and showcase their valuable insight into the complexities and opportunities around green hydrogen in the public discourse. Our team has helped launch numerous cleantech startups focused on the fast-developing green hydrogen and green ammonia space – building their thought leadership and exposure to key top tier and trade outlets and reporters.
Recently we helped a hydrogen client externally respond to the new Treasury regulations which resulted in coverage in Axios and an interview on S&P Global’s IR in Focus podcast.
The impact of good PR
Through robust messaging work, targeted and detailed pitching efforts, and journalist relationship building, Silverline orchestrated a late stage start up launch which resulted in:
● New customers reaching out to the client
● A significant increase in the daily average of website traffic on the launch date
● An invitation to speak at an investor conference
Silverline’s expertise in the cleantech space and deep, well-established relationships with clean energy reporters enabled overwhelmingly positive results from this company launch and showcased our client’s impactful thought leadership and approach to clean energy.
Be informed, join the clean energy conversation
Staying on top of these fast-developing trends in green hydrogen and the larger clean energy space are key for companies looking to grow their presence in the sector and show how their innovations are best suited for implementation at scale. Our team at Silverline can help do just that – be sure to sign up for our newsletter here to stay up to date on the latest happenings, trends, and insights in cleantech and reach out if interested in learning more about how our team works to drive positive results for brands.
Brad Carl earned his bachelor’s degree in atmospheric sciences from the University of Washington in 2011. An Emmy Award winner with more than eight years of experience in broadcast meteorology from Montana to Arkansas to Oklahoma, he also reported on climate change impacts, solutions, and sustainability efforts.
