New Mexico lawmakers want to hit brakes on hydrogen fuel

Nov. 10—Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has called a proposal that would lay the foundation for a hydrogen fuel economy in New Mexico her administration's "signature piece of legislation" in the 30-day session that begins in January.

But some lawmakers aren't ready to sign on just yet.

While the proposed Hydrogen Hub Act is among the governor's priorities for the upcoming legislative session, a number of lawmakers expressed concern Tuesday at the fast pace at which the effort is moving.

"I have so many questions; I have so many concerns," Rep. Kristina Ortez, D-Taos, said during a discussion about hydrogen at a legislative committee meeting.

Ortez asked whether "front-line communities" are in the loop.

"The communities that we're talking to, this is really like happening in real time, fast-paced, and we're having to provide them a lot of the education [and] information," responded Joseph Hernandez, an organizer for the NAVA Education Project, a nonprofit that provides voter information and education to Native Americans.

Ortez said Hernandez had touched upon the issue "very clearly, which is that it feels very fast, feels like we're making decisions very, very quickly."

Sen. Liz Stefanics, D-Cerrillos, said New Mexico is "not prepared or at the stage" to begin active hydrogen production and suggested creating a work group to delve into the issue.

"What we need is some planning to address the future and then some of the concerns," she said.

"I'm thinking that with some leadership, we might want to study plotting the future of hydrogen in our state and setting some minimal standards through this work group before hydrogen production occurs in New Mexico," Stefanics said.

The governor's push to make New Mexico the nation's largest hydrogen fuel hub has sparked opposition from a coalition of environmental, justice and community organizations in New Mexico. The group contends hydrogen derived from fossil gas presents "significant climate and health dangers."

New Mexico's first large-scale hydrogen project describes itself as "blue" — harnessing natural gas to divide water to create hydrogen. A recent study by Cornell and Stanford universities found the process generates 20 percent more carbon emissions than burning natural gas or coal for heat.

"We simply cannot afford to create new climate pollution," Camilla Feibelman, director of the Rio Grande chapter of the Sierra Club, said in a statement in October. "Even the more optimistic 'blue hydrogen' proposals aspire to only 90 percent carbon capture. When scaled up to the level of production that fossil industries are aiming for, that 10 percent creates a significant climate impact. For electricity, renewable energy and storage can do the job more efficiently and affordably with zero carbon emissions — not 10 percent, but zero."

The Lujan Grisham administration is moving full-steam ahead.

The state Environment Department said it September it would be asking for funding in the fiscal year 2023 budget "to establish New Mexico as a world-class, clean hydrogen hub focusing on the production, consumption and export of clean hydrogen."

"In doing so," the department wrote in a news release, "New Mexico will seek its share of the $8 billion proposed for clean hydrogen in the federal infrastructure bill and the estimated $300 billion in clean hydrogen capital investments expected by 2030."

Julie McNamara, a senior energy analyst with the Climate & Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, told lawmakers Tuesday "the news of hydrogen" has taken many by surprise over the past year.

"This is an industry-driven effort," she said. "This is a fossil fuel industry driven effort, more specifically."

Sen. Carrie Hamblen, D-Las Cruces, said Tuesday's discussion was the third the Legislature's Economic Development and Policy Committee has had on "blue" hydrogen.

"This is something that has come down on us rather quickly," said Hamblen, who chairs the committee. "In some cases, [it] feels like it might be a little too fast or too rushed and that we have opportunities that we're not exploring."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Daniel J. Chacón on Twitter @danieljchacon.