Biofuels and renewable hydrogen are increasingly becoming a solution for commercial and residential customers who want an effective way to use fuels with lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, and offer pathways to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy.
Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) has developed a Green-e® certification program for renewable fuels, beginning with biomethane (also called renewable natural gas or RNG) products, and designed to be flexible enough to incorporate many different fuel types. The Green-e® Renewable Fuels Standard (“Standard”) for biomethane was published in September 2021 and is currently available along with the program’s Code of Conduct and other program documents and details. As a natural extension of the program CRS is actively working to expand Green-e® Renewable Fuels certification to include hydrogen produced from renewable sources.
Many market players have jumped into hydrogen production and its applications, and demand for renewable hydrogen is likely to grow rapidly. CRS is developing comprehensive voluntary market standards and rules for renewable hydrogen to ensure buyers of green hydrogen receive renewable hydrogen that is high-quality, verified, and not double-counted supplies. The inclusion of renewable hydrogen in the Green-e® Renewable Fuels program will support market growth and provide assurances of environmental quality and transparency in the voluntary market for renewable hydrogen.
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Program Goals
The Green-e® Renewable Fuels program aims to accelerate the adoption of renewable hydrogen, while ensuring that it is created from sustainable renewable resources, that it meets the highest environmental standards, and that customers are protected in their purchase and ability to make verifiable usage claims. Examples of issues related to renewable hydrogen that CRS is exploring include:
- Renewable electricity vintage, geographic considerations, and facility age (for electrolytic hydrogen)
- Use of pipelines
- Carbon intensity
- Various production technologies (e.g., electrolyzers using renewable electricity; SMR using biomethane)
- Other environmental and emissions considerations
Standard Development Process
As a first step, CRS convened a Working Group and an Advisory Group to provide environmental, technical, and market input prior to developing a draft standard for renewable hydrogen and opening of the first public stakeholder consultation on this draft. The Advisory Group was comprised of environmental nonprofit organizations, Green-e® Governance Board members, academic experts, and industry stakeholders. Like all Green-e® standards, development will follow the process described on Green-e® Standard Setting.
Development Timeline Overview
The Standard will be developed over a period of almost 2 years, with 2 open stakeholder comment periods:
- Terms of Reference development: Fall 2023
- First 60-Day Stakeholder Comment Period: Q3 2024.
- Internal review of comments and follow-up with commenters as needed, discussion with advisory committees and Green-e® Governance Board
- Updated draft of the Green-e® Standard created based on stakeholder and Board feedback and Second 60-Day Stakeholder Comment Period: Q4 2024 to Q1 2025
- Review of comments and follow-up with stakeholders as needed, discussion with advisory committees and Green-e® Governance Board
- Final inclusion of renewable hydrogen into the Green-e® Renewable Fuels Standard: Q2 2025
Learn More
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You may also contact Green-e® program staff by email at fuels@green-e.org or by calling 415-561-2100.