Let me tell you about a little detail tucked away in Congress’s ambitious climate law on Page 118. It has the potential to transform America’s energy system, and no, it’s not another TikTok dance craze. It’s about something called “clean hydrogen” – a fuel that could replace all the dirty fossils fuels and make our world a cleaner, happier place to live in. Think of it like Dorothy’s ruby slippers, except instead of taking you home, it takes you to a future that doesn’t leave our planet as fried and crispy as a KFC bucket.

However, like with everything these days, there’s a catch. Depending on how it’s executed, it could make things worse. It’s like that time you tried to cook dinner for your date, but accidentally set the whole kitchen on fire. The balance hangs in the air, like a trapeze artist’s life, and could determine whether President Biden’s climate legacy is remembered as a good thing or as something that makes his ancestors want to change their names.

The provision has to do with how hydrogen is produced. Don’t start switching off yet. It’s not a math lesson. It involves something called electrolysis, which is basically the scientific way of saying splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen with electricity. Whether it’s clean or not depends on what type of electricity is used. There are different categories, ranging from gray (hydrogen produced by natural gas) to green (hydrogen made with clean electricity). Unfortunately, the majority of hydrogen made in America is gray. Which is as disappointing as finding out that Santa Claus is not real.

The good news is that the tax credit for clean hydrogen is huge. It’s not a 10% off coupon for your next Starbucks order, but rather an investment worth over $100 billion. That’s enough to transform the industry and make it cleaner than Marie Kondo’s closet. But just like when you hit the jackpot at the casino, there’s always a catch. One estimate predicts that if we don’t set strict rules, then we could double the greenhouse gas pollution to more than 220 million tons of carbon emissions per year. Basically, we could have 26 coal plants that produce pollution every single year. That’s enough to turn Greta Thunberg’s hair grey.

Don’t be surprised to find out that the fossil fuel companies and their buddies are already planning to turn clean hydrogen into a dirty monster. They’re like high school bullies who take the smallest opportunity to make someone else’s life miserable. Companies like BP and Constellation are already lobbying the government for loose rules, like the ones at your company’s happy hour. But, unlike your boss who turns into a party animal with free drinks, these loose rules would only make a dirty hydrogen monster even worse.

So, folks, if we want to make our planet cleaner than a Clorox ad, we need to make sure that clean hydrogen doesn’t become a contradiction in terms. So, come on, let’s make like Dorothy and her friends and use this magical force for good, not for adding more pollution to our beautiful blue planet.

Serious News: nytimes