Does producing hydrogen emit pollutants?
It depends. When hydrogen is produced from natural gas, some carbon dioxide is released, but smog-forming nitrogen oxides are negligible. Overall, reforming natural gas is a cleaner process than burning natural gas or diesel. When hydrogen is produced from water, the electricity might originate from a generator that creates some emissions. Ideally, in the future, the energy to produce hydrogen might come from clean, renewable solar or wind power.
