As Governor Phil Murphy moves forward on massive off-shore wind energy turbines in the Atlantic Ocean, one New Jersey Democrat says hydrogen is the future of energy in the Garden State.
State Senator Senator Gordon Johnson wants New Jerseyans to reduce greenhouse gas by 80% before 2050 and said hydrogen fuel is how it’s going to happen., not solar or wind energy.
Gordon wants New Jersey to be more like California when it comes to hydrogen fuel use.
“Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), which run on hydrogen, can be a key tool in eliminating harmful emissions. Heat and water are the only byproducts,” Gordon said “This innovative technology is widespread in California and other countries, and it’s especially applicable to certain forms of transportation, like long-distance heavy-duty trucking, which we see a lot of here in the state.”
According to the federal government, the production of hydrogen fuel also relies existing domestic energy resources, including natural gas and nuclear power.
“Hydrogen is a clean fuel that, when consumed in a fuel cell, produces only water. Hydrogen can be produced from a variety of domestic resources, such as natural gas, nuclear power, biomass, and renewable power like solar and wind,” the Office of Energy Efficiency says. “These qualities make it an attractive fuel option for transportation and electricity generation applications. It can be used in cars, in houses, for portable power, and in many more applications.”
“The hydrogen-powered economy is already off to a great start. In 2020, I worked with my colleagues in the state Senate to push through legislation establishing a fuel cell task force. The task force aims to boost the adoption of clean energy alternatives and grow the market for fuel cells in New Jersey,” he added. “And we’re already seeing incredible progress and innovation. New Jersey Resources Corporation is building a green hydrogen production and distribution facility in Howell. South Jersey Industries is backing a project using wind power to create green hydrogen. And Rutgers University is supporting HydroGEN, a startup that is looking for new ways to get hydrogen from water. These are real businesses and R&D projects that show the promise a larger hydrogen economy could bring.”
Johnson says he would like to see New Jersey’s commercial trucking industry to convert to hydrogen-powered and electric vehicles.