US needs regulatory certainty for hydrogen pipelines

Current system ‘the single biggest impediment’ to developing hydrogen connections, industry insiders say

Regulatory certainty will be needed if the US is to leverage its vast natural gas infrastructure for use with hydrogen in the coming decades. The discussion on hydrogen pipelines in the US is mainly about blending, and on utilising the existing 1,600km of hydrogen pipelines mostly in the Gulf Coast, rather than converting any existing natural gas pipelines. An exception is the proposed Angeles Link in California. This contrasts with Europe, where gas transmission system operators have set out the European Hydrogen Backbone (EHB) plan for 53,000km of international hydrogen pipelines by 2040, to ensure they stay relevant in a net-zero world. The US would do well to emulate some of Europe’s pro