State Awards $250k in Funds for Douglas PUD Hydrogen Project

The Douglas County PUD recently received $250,000 from the state's Supplemental Capital Budget to help build a renewable hydrogen pilot project.

Washington state PUDs were granted authority to produce, distribute and sell renewable hydrogen last legislative session.

"As I look out of the window today, the wind is blowing, the snow is melting, and there is a lot of water running down the river." said General Manager Gary Ivory, "This will allow us to capture energy at times when things are very inefficient in the market, and also inefficient in the energy production cycle. We will be able to transform that into something different than electricity."

The PUD has already purchased property in the Baker Flats industrial area north of East Wenatchee to build the pilot project, which is expected to be operational in 2021.

"Renewable hydrogen is hydrogen that would be created by using our hydroelectric resource, energy, to basically split the water molecule into hydrogen and oxygen. We would do that with renewable energy, and thereby the renewable hydrogen element will be created," added Ivory.

The money will be used to help plan the site, as well as hire RH2 Engineering for the site development and permitting process.