Published October 12, 2023
By Christine Reed
The School of Energy Resources’ (SER) Center for Energy Regulation and Policy Analysis (CERPA) has released a study examining the development of a hydrogen industry in Wyoming when paired with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.
The paper is the result of a collaboration between SER and the Plains Carbon Dioxide Reduction (PCOR) Partnership.
Led by CERPA Research Scientist Madeleine Lewis, the paper provides an overview of existing and developing applications for hydrogen, a description of existing hydrogen production methods (aka the “Hydrogen Rainbow”), and the increasing demands and incentives for hydrogen deployment.
Additionally, the paper analyzes funding provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that aim to accelerate development of the hydrogen industry.
“This is paper is intended to lay the foundation for stakeholders and community members to understand the basics when it comes to what hydrogen is, how it can be produced, the benefits it yields as an emerging fuel source, and the opportunities for its development,” says Lewis. “We then took a further step to demonstrate why Wyoming is an ideal location for establishing a hydrogen economy, explored some of the projects that have been initiated — particularly in support of blue hydrogen — and then assessed potential policy gaps.”
The paper analyzes the geographic, economic, legal, and regulatory features that render Wyoming a particularly well-suited location for a blue hydrogen economy.
Projects already underway are intended to capitalize on synergies between Wyoming’s natural gas supply, its associated existing infrastructure and the State’s potential for widespread CCS deployment.
The paper concludes with a brief summary of policy opportunities for the State of Wyoming to fulfill its potential as a global “hydrogen headwaters” through blue hydrogen deployment.
Co-authors on the paper include SER Senior Director of Research Scott Quillinan and Eugene Holubnyak, Director of SER’s Hydrogen Energy Research Center (H2ERC).
“This paper is a great example of how we work in collaboration with our in-house experts on specific energy topics, while advancing innovative projects with our regional partners,” says CERPA Director Kara Fornstrom. “In the early stages of developing emerging industries, we aim to provide meaningful information and analyses of opportunities across the supply chain so stakeholders can fully understand how they fit within the regulatory and economic framework of the State.”
Founded in 2020 to respond to the energy challenges and opportunities facing the State of Wyoming, CERPA draws upon interdisciplinary energy law, policy, technology and economic experts to conduct world-class energy analyses for the benefit of the State of Wyoming, the intermountain west region and the United States.
To download the paper as well as other resources released by CERPA, visit the website www.uwyo.edu/ser.
