Delta, Utah, a town celebrated for its natural beauty, rich history, and vibrant community spirit, was the site of a historic moment last week. Therm H₂, Dominion Energy Utah (DEU) hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony focused on the on-site arrival of the electrolyzer, an innovative technology that will allow the company to create hydrogen. DEU is one of the few utilities in North America to blend hydrogen into a live system and is one of the few companies using an electolyzer to create hydrogen on-site.

The electrolyzer will begin creating green hydrogen in late fall using water and renewable feedstocks. DEU will then integrate the hydrogen into the natural gas supply at a 5% blend, serving approximately 1,800 customers in Delta and neighboring communities. This phase of the project follows a year of extensive research at DEU's Training Academy in Salt Lake City to confirm industry research. Following the work done at the Academy, the company began blending hydrogen in late March of 2023 using pre-produced hydrogen in tanks. The introduction of hydrogen made on-site will further the phase and help reduce emissions even further.

By blending at a 5% rate, Delta is estimated to save around 110 tons of carbon emissions each year, equivalent to taking 24 cars off the road or planting 5,000 trees annually!

Alyssa Wahlin, a research and development engineer for the project, explained, “Hydrogen doesn't have carbon emissions, and if produced through renewable means, it reduces emissions in our natural gas system. We're among the first companies doing this at this scale, and it's exciting.”

Reflecting on the project's journey, Judd Cook, GM and VP of Western Gas Distribution for Dominion Energy Utah, said, “Five years ago, I proposed blending hydrogen into natural gas. It felt aspirational, and Craig Wagstaff said ‘Make it happen.’ We formed a team, crafted a vision, and handed it to the experts. They turned a dream into reality. We have great people who made it happen.”