Sander Kushen, sander.kushen@sierraclub.org
SAN FRANCISCO – A coalition of environmental groups and consumer advocates—Sierra Club, Environmental Defense Fund, Utility Consumers’ Action Network and Climate Action Campaign—filed a motion today with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to dismiss five utility pilot projects that aim to mix hydrogen into existing gas lines. The Sierra Club is represented by Earthjustice in this proceeding.
The five projects from SoCalGas, PG&E, SDG&E and SWGas would cost over $200 million in ratepayer money on hydrogen experiments in residential homes, college campuses and commercial buildings across California. The utilities’ proposed projects also fail to meet the CPUC’s minimum requirements for clean hydrogen, leak detection and stakeholder engagement. These proposals come after two previous failed attempts by investor-owned utilities to get CPUC approval for hydrogen blending.
“These hydrogen blending projects are a lose-lose proposition for both the climate and the communities they’re being built in,” said Jim Dennison, Sierra Club Attorney. “They prolong the need for fossil fuel infrastructure, wasting ratepayer money on schemes that conflict with California's climate goals. The CPUC should dismiss these applications and focus on real climate solutions that actually benefit communities and our environment, like electrifying the appliances in our homes and buildings.”
Burning hydrogen is known to produce indoor and outdoor air pollution by emitting nitrogen oxides—a key ingredient in smog—potentially exacerbating respiratory and heart problems in peoples’ own homes. Additionally, blending hydrogen into existing pipelines is known to make pipes brittle and vulnerable to cracking, an alarming risk considering hydrogen’s flammability.
“Because hydrogen functions as an indirect greenhouse gas, blending hydrogen into the existing gas pipelines can lead to climate harm since those older pipes will be more prone to leaks.” says Michael Colvin, Director of the California Energy Program at Environmental Defense Fund. “We could undo all the climate benefit the utilities claim on paper.”
Many of these pilot projects—including the controversial proposal by SoCalGas in Orange Cove—have also raised concerns about disproportionate risk exposure. Orange Cove is a largely Latino farming community with some of the most polluted air in the nation. Sierra Club has successfully opposed similar hydrogen blending projects in other states.
“There’s nothing normal about utilities’ plans to pipe hydrogen into Californians’ homes and UC college campuses,” said Rebecca Barker, an attorney on Earthjustice’s Right To Zero campaign. “With these proposals, utilities would waste over $200 million on dead-end hydrogen projects while the solution to getting off methane gas in our homes and buildings has been staring us in the face all along: it’s time to electrify everything. Californians shouldn’t be the guinea pigs for utilities’ costly hydrogen experiments while they chase profits and ignore some very real risks for us all.”
“After submitting two previously deficient applications, California’s Investor-Owned Utilities once again seek a set of costly hydrogen blending pilot projects that unjustly and unreasonably waste ratepayer funds,” said Edward Lopez, Executive Director for the Utilities Consumers’ Action Network. “On this third try, the IOUs once again failed to present an application consistent with Commission direction – and proposed projects now are nearly six times higher than their first application. The projects will impose undue costs on utility customers and the Commission should dismiss the Application.”
The motion argues that dismissing these pilots would allow the state to concentrate on more effective climate strategies that would also clean the air, aligning with California's ambitious climate goals and commitment to environmental justice.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.