Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the world, but does not provide energy by itself. Hydrogen is often referred to as an energy storage medium, much like a battery, gasoline, or oil. Hydrogen can be burned to provide fuel for an engine or used in a fuel cell to create electricity and heat.
The City of Aspen is exploring the use of hydrogen fuel cells in the medium to long-term to provide heat and electricity for buildings and the water treatment plant rather than using conventional natural gas or electricity provided by the grid.
Today most hydrogen is made by reforming natural gas. Aspen is exploring the possibility of producing hydrogen renewably by splitting water using excess power produced by the proposed
Castle Creek Energy Center hydroelectric plant. Stay tuned for more on this exciting technology!