Natural Gas Backup Generators. The correct decision for decarbonization

Exergy’s Always On, Always Green, Always Save Program ensures that its customers are fully resilient when the grid goes down. Many people ask why we choose natural gas backup generators (which includes fuel cells) if our and our customer’s goal is to achieve zero carbon.

There are two reasons. First, batteries cannot provide long term resiliency. They are fine for a couple of hours, but if you need to operate for days or possibly weeks without the grid, batteries are neither technically nor economically feasible. Secondly, the greening of the natural gas infrastructure allow us to have zero carbon onsite generation. It can be done today but will be much more prevalent in the not too distant future.

The Greening of the Natural Gas Infrastructure

In the United States, approximately 30% or 35 million tons of the waste that goes to landfill is organic waste that will be consumed by bacteria and produce methane. Methane is 22 times worse than carbon dioxide as a green house gas. This methane leaking from landfills is a significant contributor to global climate change. Add to this the decomposing of animal manure to methane and we have a significant source of renewable natural gas and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.?Major investment firms, such as BlackRock, are making significant investments in anaerobic digestion companies and projects to produce negative carbon natural gas that is then fed into the natural gas pipeline. Zero carbon committed firms can now purchase renewable natural gas exclusively for their consumption.

There is a lot of talk about and investment in green hydrogen, as the zero-carbon fuel of the future. Well the future has already arrived. Cummins, yes Cummins the diesel engine giant, is currently constructing a 25 MW hydrogen plant in Florida for FPL. More on Cummins strategy later.

Hydrogen is a gaseous fuel and the best way to transport it is through pipelines. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and a consortium of energy companies are working on the specifications for injecting hydrogen into the natural gas pipeline. The most recent study by NREL indicates that up to 20% hydrogen could be injected into the natural gas pipeline with no ill down stream effects. The consortium is working though the details and legal issues to start this process. Relatedly, the California Public Utilities Commission has released a study allowing up to 10% hydrogen in the California natural gas pipeline.

20% is certainly not 100% but when combined with renewable natural gas derived from anaerobic digestion, the natural gas pipeline will become increasingly green. While technically challenging, over the long term, the natural gas pipeline is likely to evolve into pure hydrogen. Why does this matter? Well many natural gas generators, including fuel cells, can operate on natural gas hydrogen mixtures and with upgrades and retrofits, can run on 100% hydrogen. Cummins has already introduced 100% hydrogen engines for trucks and has a full line of fuel cells that can run both natural gas or pure hydrogen.

Our path to a zero-carbon energy sector is about low cost, low risk incremental steps that we have to start now. It will not be an overnight transition. Natural gas replaces coal. Hydrogen and renewable natural gas gets blended into the natural gas infrastructure. Hydrogen production from intermittent renewables like solar and wind, increase hydrogen production and eventually the country has a hydrogen distribution infrastructure. Choosing natural gas (generator or fuel cell) now is putting you on the best path to zero carbon resiliency.

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