How Colorado Beat Xcel Energy’s
Hydrogen Blending Scheme

Why did Colorado fight Xcel’s gas utility (Public Service Co.) to keep hydrogen out of homes?

Read PSR Colorado’s hydrogen blending testimony here.

See our exhibit resources here

Hydrogen blending (HB) is a costly greenwashing strategy promoted by the oil and gas industry that fails to reduce overall GHG emissions, due to the energy inefficiencies inherent in its production and combustion as a fuel source.
PSR’s 2022 report shows that hydrogen is an explosive, expensive, polluting fuel that is unhealthy and unsafe for use in homes. See page 5 of the report for “Hydrogen blending’s 6 failings.”
Burning hydrogen blends can increase N0x emissions as compared with burning methane alone, increasing the risk of asthma and other respiratory conditions.
Colorado’s pipeline regulator has failed to address serious safety risks in our gas networks, adding hydrogen would only make the problem more dangerous.

Xcel targeted over 200 homes in rural Hudson, CO for a hydrogen blending “demonstration project.”
Colorado Public Radio (CPR) exposed Xcel’s plan, and interviewed PSR Colorado staff.
PSR Colorado launched our “Expensive, Explosive, Polluting” news-media advertising campaign informing the public about the risks of Xcel’s plan - see clippings in graphic.
PSR Colorado, Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES), and other advocacy groups intervened in the PUC Xcel Clean Heat proceeding while other allies rallied the public to protect communities from exposure to the health, safety, and climate hazards of hydrogen and methane, and to demand genuine emission-reduction measures.

The 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 were required to submit emission reduction plans to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for review in 2023-24
PSR Colorado and other intervening organizations, agencies, and local governments made the case for building decarbonization over Xcel’s re-sourced methane proposals.
The PUC’s final ruling requires Xcel to reduce emissions largely through building electrification and efficiency, with robust new heat pump rebates announced on January 1, 2025.
Learn more about Colorado’s Xcel Clean Heat Plan here.

Watch our webinar to learn more about the health and climate impacts of blending hydrogen with residential gas supplies.

PSR National Report: Hydrogen Pipe Dreams - Why Burning Hydrogen in Buildings in Bad for Climate and Health - See page 5 for summary
American Medical Association statements on hydrogen and gas stoves:

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
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."
Denver Post article on audit: "Scathing audit finds Colorado failed to properly regulate gas pipelines, penalize providers after explosions"
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