New York Power Authority Receives National Energy Innovator Award for Hydrogen Retrofit Project
Pioneering Demonstration Utilized Fuel Blends at Brentwood Power Plant
WHITE PLAINS—The New York Power Authority (NYPA) received an American Public Power Association Energy Innovator Award today during the American Public Power Association’s National Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. The award honors utilities that have developed or applied creative, energy-efficient techniques and technologies to their work in order to provide better service to electric customers or projects that increase the efficiency of utility operations or resource efficiency.
“NYPA’s project successfully demonstrated the impacts of burning a hydrogen blend in an existing gas plant,” said Alan Ettlinger, NYPA’s senior director of Research, Technology Development and Innovation. “We came away with many learnings and recommendations that can be applied in future studies as we continue to explore alternate fuels and technologies to reduce carbon emissions.”
NYPA recently partnered with EPRI, GE, Airgas, Sargent & Lundy, and Fresh Meadow Power to develop, execute and document the effectiveness of generating power using up to 40 percent hydrogen blended with natural gas at its Brentwood Power Station on Long Island. This first-in-the-nation study sought to understand how green hydrogen could be used to decrease carbon emissions while maintaining reliable power generation. The study also used a novel blending skid device to combine hydrogen with natural gas adjacent to the gas turbine. Given hydrogen’s volatility, NYPA collaborated extensively with bodies including the National Fire Protection Association and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
The project began in the fall of 2021, with the testing period completed during the third quarter of 2022. In total, the project burned blended hydrogen for a total of 12.5 hours at varying load ranges and hydrogen-natural gas blends. The results showed a decrease in CO2 emissions of as much as 20 percent at peak hydrogen levels. Given that NYPA did not need to perform any modifications to the gas turbine, the organization believes that blending hydrogen could provide a roadmap for reliable, accessible decarbonization.
About NYPA
NYPA is the largest state public power organization in the nation, operating 16 generating facilities and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. More than 80 percent of the electricity NYPA produces is clean renewable hydropower. NYPA uses no tax money or state credit. It finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity. For more information visit www.nypa.gov and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and LinkedIn.
About the American Public Power Association
The American Public Power Association is the voice of not-for-profit, community-owned utilities that power 2,000 towns and cities nationwide. We represent public power before the federal government to protect the interests of the more than 49 million people that public power utilities serve, and the 96,000 people they employ. Our association advocates and advises on electricity policy, technology, trends, training, and operations. Our members strengthen their communities by providing superior service, engaging citizens, and instilling pride in community-owned power.
