How is "green" hydrogen produced?

Green hydrogen is produced by using renewable electricity, from sources like wind or solar, to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen through a process called electrolysis, which releases no carbon dioxide as long as the electricity itself comes from clean sources.

Burning coal in sealed chambers describes something closer to how "grey" or fossil-based hydrogen production releases carbon emissions, the opposite of the clean process green hydrogen is meant to represent. Distilling crude oil at low temperatures is a step in refining petroleum products like gasoline, unrelated to producing hydrogen gas.

Green hydrogen currently costs noticeably more than hydrogen made from natural gas, so its future largely hinges on renewable electricity and electrolyzer equipment continuing to get cheaper, the same cost curve that has already made solar and wind power far more competitive over the past decade.