Is SoCalGas hydrogen testing in Orange Cove dangerous, or smart for the environment?

Reality Check is a Fresno Bee series holding those in power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a tip? Email tips@fresnobee.com.

The Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) wants to test hydrogen fuel in Orange Cove, a small enclave in the eastern Fresno County foothills, but some activists say it would be expensive and endanger residents’ health.

According to Blaine Waymire, project manager for SoCalGas, hydrogen fuel can be blended with natural gas, which can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

SoCalGas says that using hydrogen blended fuel in homes can help meet California’s demands for green energy or zero emissions. They see Orange Cove as an ideal location due to its existing natural gas infrastructure, including underground pipes. The city plans to build more for the project.

“It would create a uniform hydrogen blend across the entire community,” said Waymire.

Rebecca Barker, a senior associate attorney at Earthjustice, is against the project. She says hydrogen fuel costs more money than other green sources because it requires a highly intensive process before it can be used as a clean energy source.

“You need to use a lot of dedicated renewable resources that were brought online just to produce this hydrogen,” she said. “It also requires a lot of water production.”

She points to existing alternatives, such as electric appliances and solar, that cost less than hydrogen fuel. According to a report from CRU Group, hydrogen fuel will still be the most expensive green energy source to build in 2050.

Even so, SocalGas says other states and countries have used hydrogen fuel in home appliances and reduced emissions, such as in Hawaii and Canada. The state sees hydrogen fuel as crucial to scaling up clean energy in the state, Waymire said.

“For some of these initiatives, the speed of the California Energy Commission recognizes that there should be more research performed into hydrogen blending,” said Waymire. “We have a lot of California policy drivers that are favorable to hydrogen blending.”

Barker says hydrogen fuel can only blend 7 percent of gas which isn’t enough to achieve state emission goals. She points out that electrification can achieve zero emissions, and it is already commercially available.

“Why would you spend tens of millions of dollars studying a solution that might be 7 percent effective?” she said. ”When you already have a 100% effective solution.”

But Barker’s primary concern about the SoCalGas project is people’s health in Orange Cove. She says that hydrogen fuel isn’t compatible with home appliances because the infrastructure, including rubber hoses, can become brittle and leak. Barker also says that hydrogen blends can increase NOx emissions into the air, which can cause asthma, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory health problems.

“Orange Cove strikes us as really concerning when there’s already quite a bit of air pollution,” she said. “There are also concerns about hydrogen flammability in terms of leakage when you think about gas leaks or explosions from the pipelines, or in the event of an earthquake or some other emergency.”

In 2015, the California State Attorney General sued SoCalGas over leakages, and the company paid $119.5 million for the settlement. SoCalGas says it has safety protocols for Orange Cove in place, such as leakage surveys.

“So if there ever was some form of leak, or if an alarm was triggered, for whatever reason, we will be able to automatically shut that system down and call out a technician to ensure that the area was treated safely,” said Waymire.

The project needs approval from the California Public Utilities Commission, which takes a year. According to SoCalGas, they have to go to multiple state officials and public hearings for the hydrogen fuel project. Barker said Earthjustice will participate in the public hearings about their opposition to the project in Orange Cove.

The project may be controversial for some people, but Daniel Parra, city manager of Orange Cove, sees it as an excellent opportunity for residents.

“The notoriety would be good for the city, get some positive messaging out there,” Parra said.