Utility Dive: Utility interest in hydrogen 'beyond staggering': GE

Hydrogen was once considered more of a periphery fuel in the broader energy transition, but has emerged front and center in 2020. 

"There's a lot of talk about a lot of different technologies" and how they can complement a broader utility resource mix as companies aim to produce zero-emitting power, said Goldmeer, but "I'm not sure that any have captured the imagination, the way hydrogen has." Though economics for the fuel remain difficult, and some analysts don't see it reaching economic viability until 2030, investor interest in the fuel is growing quickly, with many focused on using the power sector to bring the resource to scale.

"I think it's going to mimic very much how solar was," said Mona Dajani, co-leader of Pillsbury law firm’s Energy and Infrastructure Projects team and leader of its Renewable Energy Practice. Solar "started out kind of clunky, and then it just accelerated quicker than anyone thought." Dajani leads her firm's hydrogen practice and expects deals to accelerate and buildout to materialize in the next three to five years.