If you already have an existing account with another Cat App, you can use the same account to sign in here.
One Account. All of Cat.
Your Caterpillar account is the single account you use to log in to select services and applications we offer. Shop for parts and machines online, manage your fleet, go mobile, and more.
Account Information
Site Settings
Security
By Steven Parente, Hydrogen Infrastructure & Integration Specialist, Caterpillar Electric Power Division | Posted: May 2023
Here’s a riddle for you: What’s colorless but most often referred to by its colors?
The answer: hydrogen. Often referred to as a “clean-burning” fuel, because it generates near-zero carbon greenhouse gas emissions at the tailpipe, hydrogen is the most abundant chemical substance in the universe. It’s also colorless, odorless, and burns with a near-invisible flame. So why does nearly every Google search or news story about hydrogen turn up terms like “green,” “blue,” and even “pink”?
A rainbow of production processes
Hydrogen as a fuel source isn’t found freely in nature. It must be extracted from naturally occurring compounds, typically through energy-intensive processes. And though there are multiple ways to make hydrogen fuel — all resulting in the same molecular hydrogen — the lifecycle greenhouse gas intensity of each production method varies. Energy experts and engineers started labeling these processes by color to make it easier for the rest of us to understand the differences.
Whether this color designation makes it simpler is up for debate. There’s no universal standard for hydrogen color labeling, and different organizations and countries sometimes use different definitions. Still, if you’re considering hydrogen as a potential fuel source for your electric power needs, it’s good to have at least a basic understanding of the terminology. So, here’s a quick look at the most common “colors of hydrogen” and their meanings.
The cleanest H2: green hydrogen
Not surprisingly, green is the color chosen for the hydrogen production method, resulting in zero net greenhouse gas emissions. Green hydrogen is made by using electricity from renewable sources, like solar or wind power, to electrolyze water. Electrolysis is a chemical reaction that separates water molecules into their two components — hydrogen and oxygen — and nothing more. This type of production is costly, so only a small percentage of hydrogen is made this way.
The rest of the hydrogen spectrum
No black-and-white solution
Clear as mud? Don’t worry about remembering exactly what each color means. The key takeaway is that not all hydrogen is created equal, especially when looking at it from a carbon footprint and sustainability perspective. More companies are turning to sustainable solutions to help lower their carbon footprint. Renewable hydrogen and hydrogen blends are among several alternative fuels customers consider to achieve their sustainability goals. In fact, we already offer generator sets capable of operating on 100% hydrogen — including fully renewable green hydrogen. Here’s a look at our 35-plus years of hydrogen experience, products with hydrogen-blending capabilities, and other hydrogen-related projects currently underway.
Hydrogen Infrastructure and Integration Specialist
Caterpillar Inc.
As the Hydrogen Infrastructure and Integration Specialist at Caterpillar, Steven Parente has responsibility for product definition and technical sales support of hydrogen infrastructure products. Furthermore, he leverages years of experience in hydrogen technologies to provide technical leadership for a diverse portfolio of hydrogen projects across the enterprise.
Steven has spent more than 16 years in the hydrogen industry where he has gained subject matter expertise in hydrogen production, compression, storage, and dispensing. He began his career as a process engineer, designing and commissioning steam methane reforming plants for hydrogen and syngas production. His accomplishments as process engineer include the development of a novel, compact hydrogen production system to provide a reliable, on-site production solution for small hydrogen consumers. He progressed through engineering management roles, leading increasingly larger engineering teams through engineering, procurement, and construction of hydrogen systems globally. As the hydrogen for mobility market rapidly evolved, he led a team in the development, testing, and deployment of hydrogen refueling systems designed to serve light and medium duty transportation sectors, primarily in California, China, and Europe.
Steven holds a bachelor's degree in chemical and biomolecular engineering and a master's degree in business administration, both from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Learn about how Caterpillar is continuing to invest in hydrogen technology to deliver more sustainable products to our electric power customers.
In March 2024, Mark Christie, commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), issued a dire warning about grid reliability. Here’s what he had to say about the rapid retirement of coal-fired power plants — and the much slower pace of bringing alternatives online:
Learn MoreDoes the phrase “rental power” conjure up visions of electrical outages, severe weather events or unexpected breakdowns? A lot of organizations view rental primarily as an emergency solution, and for good reason. Immediate availability allows you to fill gaps and keep critical operations running with minimal or no interruption.
Learn MoreFor many municipal utility managers I talk to, it’s getting tougher to continue providing the highest levels of reliability, service, and value. Customer preferences are changing. Some want 100% renewable power overnight; others simply care about cost. Other challenges are mounting, too: New technologies. Increased regulation. Workforce shortages. Budget constraints. And perhaps biggest of all, rising demand.
Learn MoreThe Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), signed into law in August 2022, provides nearly $400 billion in tax credits and incentives over a decade to promote climate change mitigation and stimulate clean energy development in the U.S. It’s the largest single investment in climate and energy in American history — and it includes the highest incentives ever provided by the federal government for combined heat and power (CHP) projects.
Learn More