Committee hears arguments for transparency on hydrogen blending in gas supply

Senate Bill 685 would require a natural gas utility to notify the Public Utility Commission and affected customers if the utility plans to increase the hydrogen content in its delivered gas above a specified threshold — set in amendments to 2.5% by volume — and to post specified information on utility websites. Proponents said the bill fills a transparency gap after a local pilot in Portland proceeded with limited public notice; utilities and trade groups said they were largely neutral with concerns about unnecessary alarm and potential impacts on decarbonization efforts.

Senator Khan Pham, the bill’s chief sponsor, said constituents raised safety and health questions after learning about a hydrogen blending pilot project in Southeast Portland. “This bill is fundamentally about transparency and trust,” Pham said, and she described months of stakeholder…