Economic growth is the cornerstone of the US economy. This growth is fueled by increased consumption of raw materials and energy. The results are increases in both production and waste (pollution), which has given rise to corporate sustainability efforts geared towards maximizing production and minimizing waste. These solutions, such as process efficiency improvements, adoption of technologies with lower environmental impact and a shift to renewable energy sources, require investment and may come at a higher cost than business-as-usual.
For example, the commercial truck sector is dependent on diesel engines and fuel, energy and economically efficient with the support of a mature oil & gas market; good for economic growth but with air pollution consequences. There is increasing recognition that burning petroleum-based diesel fuel is unsustainable due to the adverse health and carbon dioxide impacts. Enter hydrogen, a fuel that contains no carbon, and therefore no carbon particulate or carbon dioxide pollution impacts. In fact, the major exhaust of hydrogen fuel consumption is pure water, exemplifying hydrogen’s potential to both decarbonize transportation and reduce other forms of air pollution.
Today, the hydrogen truck fueling market is nascent and exists only in California, however federal and state policy around hydrogen opens doors to commercial rollout in a way that is aligns energy growth with air pollution reduction, and economic growth. The trifecta.