DOER previews hydrogen roadmap; Environmental Justice Council presses for water, safety and equity safeguards

The Department of Energy Resources on Wednesday outlined a draft hydrogen roadmap and asked the Massachusetts Environmental Justice Council for input as the agency balances clean-energy goals with local public‑safety and equity concerns.

David Lutz, renewable energy coordinator at DOER, said hydrogen can play a “small part” of the Commonwealth’s 2050 decarbonization strategy and described potential uses in “hard‑to‑electrify” sectors such as heavy‑duty trucking, maritime transport and some industrial high‑heat processes. "Hydrogen has a very high energy content and has a potential to emit no carbon emissions when deployed properly," Lutz said, adding that the state will prioritize electrification while treating hydrogen as a complementary option.

The presentation explained production pathways — green hydrogen from electrolysis, hydrogen from natural gas with carbon capture, nuclear‑based production and biogas sources — and noted that federal definitions and incentives (including a pending federal production tax credit and prior Department of Energy hydrogen hub solicitations) will influence which production methods are viable in practice. Lutz…