We’re celebrating National Trivia Day by sharing a few facts about natural gas. Did you know 56% of Pacific Northwest heat comes from natural gas? With winter well underway, this vital energy resource provides reliability and affordability during storms.

Because of increased demands on our energy system, there is already a 1-in-4 chance the Pacific Northwest will experience a blackout by 2026, which is why we still need natural gas and its infrastructure as part of a clean and balanced energy system.

You may not have known renewable hydrogen is clean energy that can be delivered through natural gas infrastructure. Excess electricity from wind and solar production powers a process called electrolysis which separates hydrogen molecules from water while releasing the harmless leftover oxygen into the air. Hydrogen can then be harnessed much like battery storage to then be delivered through the 75,000 miles of existing natural gas infrastructure across Oregon and Washington.

With a balanced energy system that includes renewable hydrogen and natural gas, we can address climate change by eliminating carbon emissions.