For many, hydrogen is the fuel of the future. New research raises doubts.

In the future, most of the hydrogen fuel can be made from natural gas using the energy-intensive and polluting methods that use steam, high temperature and pressure to break down hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

Blue hydrogen uses the same process but applies carbon retention and storage technology, which involves capturing carbon dioxide before it goes into the atmosphere and then pouring it underground in an attempt to lock it up. But that still does not count for natural gas, which generates hydrogen, energizes the steam process, and carries CO2. “Those are real,” said Cornell Dr. Howard.

Amy Townsend-Small, an associate professor of environmental sciences at the University of Cincinnati and methane emissions specialist, has begun researching some industrial claims around hydrogen, while also exploring the effects of climate change. Gas production. “I think this research will move the discussion forward,” she said.

Plans to produce and use blue hydrogen are moving forward. National Grid, along with Stone Brook University and New York State, is studying the integration and storage of hydrogen into existing gas infrastructure. The Gulf Coast utility plans to use existing oil industry hydrogen pipelines to replace hydrogen-powered natural gas.

Entergy believes hydrogen is “part of a long-term carbon-free future,” and that it only occasionally generates renewable energy, such as wind or solar, said Jerry Napi, a spokesman for the utility. “Hydrogen is an important technology that allows utilities to take on a wide range of renewable energy levels,” he said.

The National Grid mentions that net hydrogen will play a major role in the next few decades and that hydrogen production from renewable energy will be a linchpin.

New York State is testing “all technologies”, including hydrogen, to support its climate goals, said Kate T. Mለርller, a spokeswoman for the State Energy Research and Development Authority. The researchers still say that they “evaluate and think about the blue hydrogen paper.”