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) as an energy carrier may play a role in various hard-to-abate subsectors, but to maximize emission reductions, supplied hydrogen must be reliable, low-emission, and low-cost. Here, we build a model that enables direct comparison of the cost of producing net-zero, hourly-reliable hydrogen from various pathways. To reach net-zero targets, we assume upstream and residual facility emissions are mitigated using negative emission technologies. For the United States (California, Texas, and New York), model results indicate next-decade hybrid electricity-based solutions are lower cost (2. 02-2. 88/kg) than fossil-based pathways with natural gas leakage greater than 4% (2. 73-5. 94/kg). These results also apply to regions outside of the U. S. with a similar climate and electric grid. However, when omitting the net-zero emission constraint and considering the U. S. regulatory environment, electricity-based production only achieves cost-competitiveness with fossil-based pathways if embodied emissions of electricity inputs are not counted under U. S. Tax Code Section 45V guidance.
Bracci et al. (Wed,) studied this question.