Hydrogen Isn’t the Future – It’s a Fossil Fuel Rebrand
Organization Press Release – From New Mexico No False Solutions
By Alejandria Lyons, Coalition Coordinator, NM No False Solutions
The fight against climate change requires truth-telling and clear direction. Unfortunately, a new petition before the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC) is neither.
The Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD), under Secretary Kenderdine, has asked the PRC to classify “no-carbon hydrogen electric generation facilities” as “zero carbon resources” under the Renewable Energy Act.
This move, framed as forward-thinking, is anything but.
It’s a dangerous conflation of technology and terminology—one that could derail the clean energy transition New Mexicans have worked hard to achieve.
Let’s start with facts. Hydrogen, particularly the kind being proposed here, is not a clean energy source. The majority of hydrogen today is made using methane—a potent greenhouse gas. The process releases carbon dioxide and uses enormous amounts of water.
Even the so-called “clean” versions of hydrogen, like green hydrogen, are deeply flawed. Green hydrogen production faces many challenges, including high costs, energy inefficiencies, safety concerns, and the need for extensive infrastructure.
The high cost of green hydrogen is problematic – why would we invest in solar to produce hydrogen, instead of just using solar itself?!
The energy losses during converting renewable energy into hydrogen and back to electricity or heat is a concern.
Hydrogen is also extremely volatile and flammable, requiring substantial safety measures for storage and transportation.
Blue hydrogen depends on capturing carbon emissions and storing them underground—something industry cannot do at scale or safely.
Studies show that lifecycle emissions from blue hydrogen often exceed those from burning coal or gas directly. So how can we call that “zero carbon”?
The truth is: we can’t. And under current law, we don’t.
New Mexico’s Renewable Energy Act outlines clear definitions. Renewable energy includes wind, solar, geothermal, biogas—not speculative hydrogen.
The law also explains how renewable energy certificates (RECs) are issued. These RECs ensure that a utility’s portfolio includes real, measurable clean energy.
Hydrogen isn’t eligible for RECs under this statute. That’s not an oversight—that’s deliberate.
The PRC cannot change that. As New Mexico’s Supreme Court stated in Egolf v. PRC, regulatory agencies cannot create new law or alter existing statutes. That’s the Legislature’s job. This petition oversteps legal boundaries, and worse, it asks the PRC to write rules for technologies that don’t even exist yet in commercially viable forms.
Let’s also talk about priorities. New Mexico is at a climate crossroads. Our regulators are grappling with critical issues: how to decarbonize the grid, protect ratepayers, and ensure reliable service during extreme weather events.
Should they be spending precious time and staff capacity debating theoretical hydrogen plants that may or may not exist by 2045?
Absolutely not. This is not just a bad policy—it’s a wasteful one.
Moreover, promoting hydrogen in this way sends the wrong signal. It tells the fossil fuel industry: keep drilling.
It tells speculative investors: jump the line ahead of solar and wind. And it tells communities on the frontlines of pollution and extraction: your concerns can wait.
New Mexico has made hard-fought progress in its energy transformation. We’ve built a robust RPS. We’ve invested in community solar.
We have much to fight for, but this false solution is not it. Let’s not undermine that by redefining words to suit an industry that wants another bite at the public trough.
The time is now for climate solutions, real democratic leadership, robust activism, and engaged participation from community leaders leading conversations on energy transition.
The PRC must dismiss this petition. Let’s keep our policies aligned with science, law, and environmental justice. Let’s keep fossil fuels where they belong: in the past.
More From No False Solutions –
Open Letter to NM Democratic Legislators 4.18.2025
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