How Colorado Beat Xcel Energy’s
Hydrogen Blending Scheme
New Clean Heat Plan supports healthy, climate-protective homes,
without hazardous and costly greenwashing strategies.
Why did Colorado fight Xcel Energy to keep hydrogen out of homes?
Hydrogen blending (HB) is a costly greenwashing strategy that fails to reduce GHG emissions.
PSR’s 2022 report shows that hydrogen is an explosive, expensive, polluting fuel that is unhealthy and unsafe for use in homes.
Colorado rejected Xcel's hydrogen blending plans in its 2024 Clean Heat Plan ruling.
Colorado now requires Xcel to reduce GHG emissions through building electrification and efficiency.
Watch PSR Colorado’s webinar to learn about the health and climate impacts of blending hydrogen with residential gas supplies.
What was Xcel’s plan and how did we fight it?
Rural Hudson, CO targeted for hydrogen blending “demonstration project.”
Colorado Public Radio (CPR) exposed Xcel’s plan, interviewed PSR Colorado staff.
PSR Colorado launched news-media advertising campaign.
The Public Utilities Commission ruled against Xcel’s plan in the Clean Heat proceeding.
What is Colorado’s “Clean Heat” standard?
Colorado legislature passed SB21-264 in 2021 setting gas utility emission reduction targets to protect the climate and public health in an equitable manner.
Major gas utilities required to submit emission reduction plans to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for review in 2024.
CO organizations, agencies, and local governments made the case for decarbonization.
PUC ruling requires Xcel to reduce emissions largely through building electrification and efficiency.
Timeline of Events
Resources
PSR National Report: Hydrogen Pipe Dreams - Why Burning Hydrogen in Buildings in Bad for Climate and Health - See page 5 for summary
PSR Colorado Action Page on Xcel's Hydrogen Blending Plans (may have new action pages soon for HB Demonstration Project and Clean Heat Plan)
See page 16 for
Resolution 438 on hydrogen and hydrogen blending "The American Medical Association "recognizes the health, safety, and climate risks of current methods of producing fossil fuel-derived hydrogen and the dangers of adding hydrogen to natural gas."
Resolution 439 on gas stoves
The US Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy tweeted: “none of our roadmaps consider home heating a viable use for H2."
Colorado Coalition for a Livable Climate Statement on Emerging Technologies
Recent State Legislation Promoting Emerging Technologies (also signed by PSR Colorado and Colorado Sierra Club)
Colorado Public Radio report on Xcel's Hydrogen Blending Demonstration Project
State Auditor's report revealing the Colorado Gas Pipeline Safety Commission’s failure to properly regulate pipelines - Page 62 exposes Xcel’s 1200+ safety violations between 2018 and 2021 and the agency’s failure to respond. "In April 2018, the operator was responsible for an explosion that occurred when it was performing standard maintenance on a pipeline, found a gas leak, and the maintenance ruptured the pipeline. The explosion resulted in $151,000 in property damage and surrounding homes were evacuated. Since the 2018 explosion, the Program has documented that Xcel Energy has had a total of 1,247 instances of noncompliance throughout the state, and no penalties have been collected from Xcel Energy for the noncompliance as of March 2023."
Xcel's Clean Heat Plan as submitted to the Public Utilities Commission on August 1 (excludes accessory documents)
Every large utility in Colorado must submit its own Clean Heat Plan to the PUC required by passage of legislation: SB21-264.
Westword article about Xcel's Clean Heat Plan
Report from Western Resource Advocates laying out a roadmap for Xcel to meet Colorado's new Clean Heat Standard with only Demand Side Management and building electrification:Path to Pollution Free Buildings