CONNECTICUT CLEAN HYDROGEN ROADMAP
Connecticut has long been a leader in both hydrogen technology and decarbonization ambition, and now has a
chance to merge those strengths by leading the transition to a clean hydrogen economy. Over the past few years,
the state has established ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets:
• 45% below 2001 levels by 2030 as mandated by An Act Concerning Climate Change Planning and
Resiliency
• 80% below 2001 levels by 2050 as mandated by The Global Warming Solutions Act
• 100% zero-carbon electric sector by 2040 as mandated by An Act Concerning Climate Change Mitigation
Achieving these targets will no doubt require a variety of solutions. While existing technologies like electrification
paired with renewable energy can effectively decarbonize many energy uses, some applications lack readily
available alternatives. In these cases, clean hydrogen emerges as a potential solution for particular end use
applications, especially those that require high power when electricity is limited or unavailable.
This roadmap represents a crucial step towards establishing a reliable and sustainable hydrogen ecosystem in
Connecticut. The roadmap seeks to achieve the following objectives:
• Articulate Connecticut’s aspirations for clean hydrogen’s integration into its energy landscape, outlining its
potential contributions to decarbonization, economic growth, and environmental justice
• Encourage the use of hydrogen produced from renewable energy
• Guide strategic development of clean hydrogen production, infrastructure, and end use by identifying the
target technologies and their associated volumes over time to scale Connecticut’s hydrogen economy
• Identification of benefits and risks associated with hydrogen and tactics to address the identified risks
• Recommend policies, programs, and pilot projects to support clean hydrogen development and
deployment in alignment with state goals
Hydrogen can be produced in many different ways, some of which present little or no emissions benefits. As a
cornerstone of the roadmap, DEEP proposes defining clean hydrogen as hydrogen not produced from fossil fuel
feedstocks and with a carbon intensity of ≤ 2 kg CO2e/ kg H2 on a life cycle basis that includes owned and retired
environmental attributes. This proposed clean hydrogen definition supports the following statewide objectives:
1. Reduces carbon emissions in the near term over the lifecycle of hydrogen’s production and use, and
supports the state’s overall climate goals
2. Advances net zero supply chains, leverages market mechanisms to grow renewable electricity supplies,
and reduces reliance on fossil fuels
3. Adheres to environmental justice principles and the goals of the DEEP’s key Energy Strategy Lenses:
Climate, Equity, Affordability, Economic Development, and Reliability and Resilience
