Hydrogen Takes the Spotlight

SocCalGas [H2] Hydrogen Home is set to revolutionize renewable energy in California

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As part of its ongoing effort to combat climate change, the state of California is on track to make massive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, with a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. The plans to reach net-zero emissions will rely heavily on increasing solar and wind power, but they also present exciting opportunities to harness existing energy infrastructure, including gas pipelines.

As the largest natural gas distribution utility in the country, serving 22 million people in Southern California, SoCalGas is in a prime position to face today’s energy challenges head-on. Following the state’s lead, the company has also committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2045. It is seeking to decarbonize its pipeline by replacing fossil fuels with increasingly higher amounts of renewable natural gas and low-carbon hydrogen.

Moving toward this goal, SoCalGas has taken on an ambitious project: the [H2] Hydrogen Home powered solely by clean electricity and hydrogen. The demonstration home is the first project of its kind in the U.S. and is currently under construction in the city of Downey, Calif., just southeast of Los Angeles. The company’s goal for the home, which is slated to be finished later this year, is to show visitors the role carbon-free gas made from renewable electricity can play in a carbon-neutral future. It’s this kind of creative thinking that earned SoCalGas’ [H2] Hydrogen Home project a spot on Fast Company’s list of World Changing Ideas.

THE THIRD LEG OF THE STOOL