Hydrogen

National Grid said it found plenty of RNG and hydrogen to help decarbonize the Northeast

National Grid said it found plenty of RNG and hydrogen to help decarbonize the Northeast
(Image by Yinan Chen from Pixabay )

National Grid said it has located what it called “robust stocks” of renewable natural gas (RNG) and hydrogen potentially available for customers in Massachusetts and New York.

The stocks were identified through the company’s Northeast clean energy request for information (RFI) issued in May. The company said providing RNG and hydrogen are “essential” to its plan to deliver a fossil-free gas network for customers who do not electrify their homes or businesses.

Through the RFI responses, the company determined there will be at least 33 trillion BTUs (TBtus) available in the next three years, more than double the 15 TBtus needed in 2025. National Grid said these energy supplies are either immediately available or could be online within two years of contracting the projects.

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The RFI response nearly doubled the company’s 2025 need for fossil-free fuel, and analysis indicated that the initial response was not nearly the extent of RNG, hydrogen, and other renewable resources that National Grid can procure, said James Holodak, energy procurement vice president.

National Grid said that RNG has proven to be a reliable clean energy source for homes and businesses in the United Kingdom, where the company’s parent is based. In the U.S., the company said it plans to deliver the energy via a fossil-free gas network, along with “targeted electrification” and energy efficiency initiatives. 

The company defined renewable natural gas as an immediately available resource released into the atmosphere by decomposing materials at farms, landfills, wastewater, and other sources. It said that greenhouse gas that otherwise is emitted to the atmosphere can be captured before being released. It is then treated to flow through existing infrastructure in place of natural gas. National Grid said that 20 states have policies that advance RNG for heating.

National Grid said that hydrogen is particularly valuable because it can be stored for future use. It said the energy source is a fossil-free way to decarbonize multiple sectors including heat, power generation, and transportation.

National Grid is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people in New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. 

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