Hydrogen Networks: Networks of the Future?

Hydrogen Networks are expensive and, at times, technically challenging to build.
Yet, the regulation of hydrogen networks is in full swing across Europe, as hydrogen is key in energy policy agendas across the European Union. While the technical aspects of hydrogen usage and the transition to a hydrogen economy become increasingly clear, the legal framework that would be required to facilitate this transformation remains underdeveloped. This chapter briefly sketches the current state of the art when it comes to both EU hydrogen policy and the emerging EU’s regulatory framework for hydrogen networks. The chapter also includes a brief example on how hydrogen networks are regulated in the EU’s biggest Member State, Germany. It finds that, while legal frameworks are increasingly taking account of hydrogen networks, essential parts of the regulatory framework merely exist in draft form and/or require further elaboration in the years to come. Martha Roggenkamp’s substantive works on the regulation of natural gas networks will remain an important focal point for the development of a legal framework covering the ‘new world’ of hydrogen networks