At-a-Glance:
NextEra Energy is closing its last coal-fired power unit and investing in its first green hydrogen facility in Florida. With its Florida Power & Light (FPL) utility, NextEra will propose a $65 million pilot that will use a 20-megawatt electrolyzer to produce 100% green hydrogen from solar power. If approved by state regulators, the project could come online by 2023. To learn more, read “NextEra Energy to Build Its First Green Hydrogen Plant in Florida.”
Key Takeaways:
- Green hydrogen is made using renewables to power the electrolysis of water, without giving off CO2 emissions. Unlike other hydrogen produced globally, green hydrogen does not use fossil fuels as feedstock.
- For NextEra, hydrogen represents not only an opportunity to help decarbonize its FPL utility but also a potential new market for the wind and solar power it generates across North America.
- “We’re really excited about hydrogen, in particular when we think about getting not to a net-zero emissions profile but actually to a zero-emissions carbon profile,” said NextEra Energy CFO Rebecca Kujawa.
Path to 100% Perspective:
Renewable hydrogen can be used for a variety of purposes, ranging from replacing natural gas in thermal power plants to powering fuel cells to move cars and ships. NextEra Energy’s move to shutdown its coal-fired power plant and invest in a green hydrogen facility is a step in the right direction for the Sunshine State on its path to 100% renewable energy.
Photo: Greentech Media