Impact of a Growing Hydrogen Economy on Freshwater Resources: Optimizing Hydrogen Production Location in California

Abstract

As pressure escalates to reduce carbon emissions and limit global warming, hydrogen produced using renewable energy and electrolysis, or green hydrogen, is gaining momentum in plans to decarbonize globally. Green hydrogen is a key component of U.S. decarbonization plans, both as a fuel used to decarbonize transportation, grid storage, or manufacturing, and as a feedstock for chemical processes such as ammonia production. In the past two years, the U.S. has allocated substantial funding to green hydrogen development. While there are many studies and models published investigating different aspects of the hydrogen system, there are few that consider the strain a growing hydrogen economy will place on freshwater resources -- and none that consider how this will affect hydrogen infrastructure in the U.S. This thesis informs hydrogen production locations in California, a state with high hydrogen production and low water availability, by developing a Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based model for hydrogen production locations in California; the model minimizes cost of hydrogen production based on land value and proximity to a renewable energy source, a sustainable water supply, and hydrogen fueling station. The results of this model partially align with previous models by recommending the southern tip of California for hydrogen production. Yet the model’s results challenge proposals to build production facilities along the southeastern border and parts of the Central Valley. These discrepancies with earlier models -- which did not consider water supply issues -- warrant further research of the hydrogen-water nexus for infrastructure planning in water-stressed areas.