Washington State One Step Closer to Green Hydrogen Energy
Draft PEIS Issued for Green Hydrogen Energy Development
The Washington State Department of Ecology, with support from HDR, has issued a draft programmatic environmental impact statement, or PEIS, to prepare the state for green hydrogen energy development. The draft PEIS, open for public comments through February 6, 2025, evaluates potential significant environmental impacts and assesses which areas of the state are suitable for green hydrogen energy, considering the types of hydrogen projects that could be built.
“This is an enormous opportunity for Washington to become a global leader in green hydrogen development,” said Rona Farley, environmental director for HDR’s power sector. “Our team of industry leaders is thrilled to be working alongside the Washington State Department of Ecology to understand the geographies and technologies that could be used to add green hydrogen energy capacity to the state’s power system, and to assess how implementation could impact the state’s natural and built environments.”
HDR is also providing technical expertise to the state department in the related preparation of communications, meeting facilitation and logistical and project management support. To help define project types and geographic areas in the draft PEIS, HDR provided information on existing and future transmission and transportation corridors. In this effort, the firm also used information from hydrogen facilities in the U.S. and abroad, including hydrogen transportation, safety requirements and regulatory standards.
“Communications and outreach are critical components of our role,” said Dennis Sandstrom, strategic communications leader at HDR. “The draft PEIS comprehensively considers potential impacts across a variety of environmental resources such as historic and cultural resources, protected species, habitat connectivity and migration corridors, environmental justice in overburdened communities, tribal rights and interests, and land uses to help communities across the state as green hydrogen energy projects are proposed and implemented.”
Slated for completion in June 2025, the final PEIS will help local governments and state agencies conduct environmental reviews, make permitting decisions and support the public and tribes in assessing green hydrogen proposals.
In October 2023, the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub was selected for award negotiations as one of the United States’ Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs, which dedicate up to $7 billion to form the foundation of a national clean energy network aimed at decarbonizing several sectors. The final PEIS will help hydrogen hub project proponents and others understand environmental review requirements at the state and local levels.
