Rethinking Emergency Power: Hydrogen and the Future of Disaster Resilience

Extreme weather events threaten millions of Americans with extended power outages each year, forcing emergency managers to quickly deploy reliable backup power.

Whether responding to a hurricane on the Gulf Coast, a wildfire in the West, or a polar vortex in the Midwest, restoring energy to critical sites—emergency shelters, hospitals, and communication hubs—is a top priority. Yet traditional approaches to backup power often fall short in the chaos of a crisis.

COMMENTARY

Today’s energy resilience toolkit includes a growing array of technologies, including diesel generators, natural gas systems, lithium-ion battery storage, solar-plus-battery microgrids—and now, a new class of hydrogen-based solutions that generate clean electricity from moisture in the air. No single option is universally ideal, but understanding their strengths and applications can help communities build more robust and flexible emergency energy strategies.

There are several key backup power options for disaster response:

Diesel Generators: Diesel generators have long been a cornerstone of emergency response due to their high output and availability. They are commonly used to power shelters, emergency services, and infrastructure hubs. However, they require a steady fuel supply chain and can pose health and emissions challenges in confined or urban environments, especially during extended operations when fuel deliveries are disrupted.

Natural Gas Generators: Where gas infrastructure is intact, natural gas generators can provide a reliable and cleaner-burning alternative to diesel. These systems are often integrated into commercial and critical infrastructure sites. They are suitable for longer-duration use, though they depend on pipeline integrity and access, which can be compromised in disasters such as earthquakes or floods.

Battery Storage Systems: Battery storage offers rapid-response energy delivery with no emissions or moving parts. Ideal for short-duration critical loads, batteries are frequently deployed alongside renewable systems or as emergency backup for communication nodes, small clinics, or transit facilities. Their limited storage duration means they are typically used to bridge outages rather than sustain operations for days.

Solar-Plus-Battery Microgrids: Combining solar photovoltaic with battery storage enables energy autonomy at a local level. Microgrids can sustain community centers, water treatment plants, or emergency operations centers in regions with consistent solar access. While not designed for rapid deployment post-disaster, they are increasingly incorporated into pre-built resilience hubs and municipal preparedness plans.

Atmospheric Hydrogen Generation with Fuel Cells: A newer entrant to the emergency power landscape, these systems generate hydrogen by extracting moisture from ambient air and converting it into electricity via fuel cells. Designed to be mobile, modular, and grid-independent, they are well-suited for rapid deployment to shelters, mobile clinics, or command posts. Their emissions-free operation allows safe use indoors or in densely populated areas, and they provide a long-duration power supply without needing water lines or fuel deliveries.

Critical Role in Temporary Shelter Operations

One of the most time-sensitive challenges during a disaster is setting up shelters with reliable electricity, particularly for individuals who depend on medical devices. Shelters must be able to support, oxygen concentrators for respiratory conditions, CPAP/BiPAP machines for sleep apnea, refrigeration for insulin and medications, home dialysis units, even electric wheelchairs and ventilators.

When the grid is down for days, these devices can’t wait. Battery packs may only last hours, and diesel may be inaccessible. Clean, portable power that doesn’t rely on traditional supply chains becomes vital for protecting vulnerable populations.

Churches as Critical Distribution Hubs

In places such as Louisiana, churches have historically played a pivotal role in disaster response, not only as shelters but also as distribution centers for essential supplies. For instance, during Hurricane Ida relief efforts, organizations like Convoy of Hope partnered with more than 60 churches to distribute more than 3.5-million pounds of relief supplies, including food, water, and other essentials.

These faith-based institutions often serve as trusted community hubs, making them ideal locations for distributing refrigerated medicines and other critical resources. Their involvement underscores the importance of equipping such facilities with reliable backup power solutions to maintain the integrity of temperature-sensitive medications during prolonged outages.

Preparing for an Uncertain Energy Future

With disasters increasing in frequency and intensity, communities are moving away from one-size-fits-all backup strategies. Instead, energy planners are designing layered approaches that combine multiple power sources: diesel for heavy load demands, batteries for quick response, natural gas where infrastructure allows, and emerging hydrogen technologies for long-duration, zero-emission power in remote or sensitive environments.

Hydrogen’s growing role—particularly systems that create fuel on-site without trucked-in resources—offers a new path forward in disaster resilience. From powering medical shelters to supporting drone communications and mobile command centers, this technology brings a level of flexibility and autonomy that legacy systems often can’t match.

The future of emergency power lies in integrated, adaptive systems that respond to real-world challenges on the ground. Hydrogen-based platforms that generate fuel from air, combined with proven technologies like batteries, generators, and microgrids, offer communities a multi-pronged path to energy security. As infrastructure investments accelerate, adopting a broad portfolio of power solutions will be critical to ensuring no one is left in the dark when disaster strikes.

—Rick Harlow is CEO of NovaSpark Energy.