Federal
December 2024: The US Department of the Treasury and the IRS have released final rules for the section 45V Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit, established by the Inflation Reduction Act. These rules provide significant changes and flexibilities to support the clean hydrogen industry, ensuring projects meet emissions requirements. The rules clarify eligibility for hydrogen producers using various energy sources and emphasize prevailing wage and apprenticeship standards. The final rules include provisions for both electrolytic and methane-based hydrogen.
Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury Releases Final Rules for Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit
December 2024: The Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Program Plan from 2023 is the foundational resource for advancing research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) of clean hydrogen technologies. This updated version of the Hydrogen Program Plan published in December 2024 explains how DOE offices collaboratively work to efficiently implement the broader strategies outlined in the U.S. National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap. It also includes updated supporting data and analysis, a description of the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs, information about ambitious DOE-wide goals established through the Hydrogen Shot™, and examples of DOE-wide efforts to establish a strong workforce, maximize technology efficiency, and accelerate innovation in the transition to a hydrogen economy.
Source: The Department of Energy Hydrogen Program Plan
September 2024: On 11 September 2024, 66 members of Congress published a letter urging the Biden administration to finalize proposed regulations (REG-117631-23) (the "Proposed Regulations") published late last year and supplemental guidance published in April, relating to the tax credit for production of clean hydrogen under Section 45V (the "clean hydrogen production tax credit") and the associated energy credit under Section 48(a)(15).
Source: United States: Could final clean hydrogen regulations be coming? - Baker McKenzie InsightPlus
July 2024: The U.S Department of Energy (DOE) and the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES) accounted the signing of a $12.6 billion agreement to expand clean energy infrastructure across California. ARCHES is the first of seven Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs of officially sign their agreement with the DOE. The hub will facilitate in decarbonizing 2 million metric tons of fossil fuel emissions per year.
Source: California’s renewable hydrogen hub officially launches. - Arches H2 or California launches world-leading Hydrogen Hub | Governor of California (both provide the same information)
April 2024: The U.S Department of the Treasury and IRS expand the reach of clean energy tax credits as part of Biden's Investing in America Agenda. The final clean energy credits include transferability and elective pay mechanisms introduced by the Inflation Reduction Act. These mechanisms allow various entities to benefit from clean energy tax credits by transferring them for immediate funds or receiving direct payments, thus accelerating clean energy projects, creating jobs, and lowering energy costs. The Act includes a Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit (45V), which provides up to $3.00 per kilogram of clean hydrogen produced, depending on the emissions intensity of the production process.
April 2024: The US has doubled the pace of cutting carbon emissions since President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed in 2022, analysts and scientists said, with more than 80 solar, wind and energy storage projects taking advantage of the law's mix of direct payments and tax credits.
Source: US climate law has boosted solar, batteries; hydrogen, other initiatives lag
March 2024: Biden-Harris Administration announced $750 million in funding to support 52 hydrogen projects across 24 states. The funding is intended to advance electrolysis, improve manufacturing and recycling capabilities, and add 1,500 new jobs. The announcement is consistent with the National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap published in 2023.
December 2023: The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service released proposed regulations defining criteria hydrogen producers will have to meet to qualify for the 45V clean hydrogen production tax credits created by the Inflation Reduction Act. Hydrogen industry leaders panned the proposal, saying the framework is too rigid and will impede the growth — and decarbonization — of U.S. industry.
Source: Industry leaders blast Treasury’s draft guidance for clean hydrogen tax credits
October 2023: President Biden and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm announced the seven regional clean hydrogen hubs that were selected to receive USD 7 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to accelerate the domestic market for low-cost, clean hydrogen.
The selected projects include:
- Appalachian Hydrogen Hub (West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania): Produces low-cost clean hydrogen from natural gas and permanently store the carbon storage, focusing on energy and job creation in coal communities.
- California Hydrogen Hub (California): Produces hydrogen exclusively from renewable energy and biomass, targeting decarbonization in public transportation, heavy-duty trucking, and port operations.
- Gulf Coast Hydrogen Hub (Texas): Utilizes both natural gas with carbon capture and renewables for large-scale hydrogen production, focusing on the energy sector.
- Heartland Hydrogen Hub (Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota): Produces clean hydrogen to help decarbonize the agricultural sector's production of fertilizer agriculture, and advance the use of clean hydrogen in for cold climate heating. This project plans to offer equity ownership to tribal communities and farmers to decrease the price of clean fertilizers.
- Mid-Atlantic Hydrogen Hub (Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey): Develops renewable hydrogen production facilities, repurposing oil infrastructure for energy and technology adoption.
- Midwest Hydrogen Hub (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan): Enables decarbonization through strategic hydrogen uses including steel and glass production, power generation, refining, heavy-duty transportation, and sustainable aviation fuel.
- Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub (Washington, Oregon, Montana): Produces clean hydrogen via electrolysis, focusing on reducing electrolyzer costs and making the technology accessible for energy production.
Source: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs to Drive Clean Manufacturing and Jobs and Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Selections for Award Negotiations | Department of Energy
September 2023: In support of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced USD 47.7 million in funding for 16 research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) projects across 13 states to advance clean hydrogen technologies. The selected projects aim to lower technology costs, enhance hydrogen infrastructure, and improve the performance of hydrogen fuel cells—supporting DOE’s efforts to reduce costs and enable commercial-scale deployment of clean hydrogen, which is a versatile energy resource that can be produced with zero or near-zero emissions.
Source: DOE Announces Nearly $48 Million To Advance Clean Hydrogen Technologies
August 2023: Governor Gavin Newsom has directed the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) to develop California’s Hydrogen Market Development Strategy, employing an all-of-government approach to building up California’s clean, renewable hydrogen market. It will closely resemble the Zero-Emission Vehicle Market Development Strategy to help California collectively move forward and deliver zero-emission benefits to all Californians.
Source: Governor Newsom Announces New Strategy to Develop a Hydrogen Economy of the Future
July 2023: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released a Notice of Intent (NOI), which includes a Request for Information (RFI), to invest up to USD one billion in a demand-side initiative to support the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs). The H2Hubs program will help form the foundation of a national clean hydrogen network to reduce emissions from energy-intensive sectors, including industrial and chemical processes and heavy-duty transportation.
July 2023: The U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, in collaboration with the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) Clean Hydrogen Initiative, announced the launch of H2 Twin Cities 2023. H2 Twin Cities is a global initiative that connects cities and communities around the world to collaborate, share ideas, and learn from each other as they deploy clean-hydrogen solutions.
Source: DOE Helps Launch H2 Twin Cities 2023
June 2023: US Senator Jon Ossoff is introducing new bipartisan bills to strengthen American energy security and advance the development of hydrogen energy for the aviation industry.
Sens. Ossoff (D-GA) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced two bipartisan bills to jumpstart public and private sector development of hydrogen for aviation and further study the use of hydrogen energy to support the aviation sector.
The bipartisan Hydrogen Aviation Development Act would make hydrogen energy expenses eligible under key Federal aviation grant programs to advance the development of hydrogen as a source of alternative fuel for the aviation industry.
The bipartisan Hydrogen Aviation Strategy Act would commission a new joint study between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Energy to establish hydrogen aviation policies and goals; study the potential benefits of hydrogen aviation; and establish a new advisory committee with NASA, aerospace industry representatives, aviation suppliers, hydrogen producers, airlines, and more to advise Federal agencies.
June 2023: The U.S. National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap was released by the Department of Energy on 5 June 2023. It provides a snapshot of hydrogen production, transport, storage, and use in the United States today and presents a strategic framework for achieving large-scale production and use of clean hydrogen, examining scenarios for 2030, 2040 and 2050 with strategic opportunities for the domestic production of 10 million metric tonnes (MMT) of clean hydrogen annually by 2030, 20 MMT annually by 2040 and 50 MMT annually by 2050. Three key strategies prioritised in the Strategy and Roadmap to ensure that clean hydrogen is developed and adopted as an effective decarbonization tool for maximum benefit to the United States are:
- Target strategic, high-impact uses of clean hydrogen;
- Reduce the cost of clean hydrogen to enable USD 2/kg by electrolysis by 2026 and USD 1/kg hydrogen by 2031; and
- Focus on regional networks to deploy regional clear hydrogen hubs and ramp up scale.
Sources:
- hydrogen.energy.gov/pdfs/us-national-clean-hydrogen-strategy-roadmap.pdf
- U.S. National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap : DOE Hydrogen Program (energy.gov)
- Biden-Harris Administration Releases First-Ever National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap to Build a Clean Energy Future, Accelerate American Manufacturing Boom | Department of Energy
April 2023: On April 7, 2023, the States of New York, New Jersey, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts announced the submission of the group's proposal for a Northeast Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub to the U.S. Department of Energy to compete for a USD 1.25 billion share of the USD 8 billion in federal hydrogen hub funding available as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
March 2023: US Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Chris Coons (D-DE), and John Cornyn (R-TX) today reintroduced their bipartisan Hydrogen Infrastructure Initiative on 3 March 2023, a package of four bills to support the adoption of hydrogen in energy-intensive sectors. It includes four bills to drive hydrogen demand: the Hydrogen for Ports Act, the Hydrogen for Industry Act, the Hydrogen for Trucks Act, and the Hydrogen Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act.
Source: Cassidy, Coons, Cornyn Reintroduce Bill to Support Hydrogen Technologies for Emissions Reductions
March 2023: The Biden-Harris Administration, through the US Department of Energy (DOE), on 15 March 2023 the availability of USD 750 million for research, development, and demonstration efforts to dramatically reduce the cost of clean hydrogen. This funding is the first phase of the USD 1.5 billion in President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law dedicated to advancing electrolysis technologies and improving manufacturing and recycling capabilities.
Source: Biden-Harris Administration Announces USD 750 Million to Advance Clean Hydrogen Technologies
January 2023: In collaboration with the States of North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Montana, Bakken Energy, an innovative developer of affordable clean hydrogen, announced today the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with BNSF Railway to work together on the design of the Heartland Hydrogen Hub, specifically the role of railways as consumers and transporters of clean hydrogen. The Heartland Hydrogen Hub is competing to obtain federal funding through the Department of Energy's USD 7 billion Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program.
Source: Clean hydrogen developer Bakken Energy announces alliance with BNSF
January 2023: US Senator Jon Ossoff and Georgia Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols today launched the Georgia Hydrogen Energy Braintrust to strengthen energy security and attract new economic investment to the state. The Georgia Hydrogen Energy Braintrust will work with Georgia businesses, public and private partners, energy companies, universities, transportation agencies, and more to make Georgia a national leader in the hydrogen energy space.
Source: Sen. Ossoff, Commissioner Tim Echols Launch Georgia Hydrogen Energy Braintrust
December 2022: Representatives Stephanie Bice (R-OK) and Paul D. Tonko (D-NY) introduced the Department of Energy Clean Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 2022, bipartisan legislation that would empower the Department of Energy (DOE) to strengthen its efforts to support R&D of clean hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.
Source: Bice, Tonko Introduce Bill to Strengthen Clean Hydrogen Development
December 2022: The Biden-Harris Administration, through the US Department of Energy (DOE), today announced its intent to issue USD 750 million in funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to reduce the cost of clean-hydrogen technologies. The funding is part of a comprehensive approach to accelerating the widespread use of clean hydrogen and supporting commercial-scale hydrogen deployment.
Source: Biden-Harris Administration Announces USD 750 Million to Accelerate Clean Hydrogen Technologies
October 2022: The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)) allocated USD 9.5 billion for clean hydrogen. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), signed into law in August 2022, provided additional policies and incentives for the development of the hydrogen market, including a production tax credit aimed at boosting the US market for clean hydrogen. However, the US Department of Energy's (DoE) publication of a draft Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap (CHSR) takes the US government's level of commitment to clean energy to the next level, as well as showing its willingness to work with existing and potential hydrogen market participants and other stakeholders to develop a framework that works. This article examines the key provisions of the CHSR.
Source: United States: The Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap
September 2022: The US Department of Energy today opened applications for the USD 7 billion programs to create regional clean hydrogen hubs ("H2Hubs") across the country, which will form a critical arm of America's future clean energy economy. As part of a larger USD 8 billion hydrogen hub program funded through President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the H2Hubs will be a central driver in helping communities across the country benefit from clean energy investments, good-paying jobs, and improved energy security – all while supporting President Biden's goal of a net-zero carbon economy by 2050.
The DOE will conduct merit reviews of the eligible project submissions based on the following critera:
- Technical Merit and Impact: Focus on the hub’s ability to deploy infrastructure, produce 50-100 metric tons of clean hydrogen daily, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Financial and Market Viability: Assess growth potential and market competitiveness.
- Workplan: Evaluate the speed of operations commencement and project management details.
- Management Team and Project Partners: Consider the team’s ability to successfully execute the plan.
- Community Benefits Plan: Review community and labor engagement, job creation, workforce development, diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and the Justice40 initiative.
Furthermore the selected projects must meet all statutory requirements with respect to feedstock diversity, end use, and geographic diversity.
August 2022: The US Department of Energy (DOE) today announced USD 40 million in funding to advance the development and deployment of clean hydrogen technologies. To further decarbonize the grid, DOE is also launching a USD 20 million university research consortium to help states and Tribal communities successfully implement grid resilience programs and achieve decarbonization goals.
Source: DOE Announces $60 Million to Advance Clean Hydrogen Technologies and Decarbonize Grid
June 2022: The US Department of Energy (DOE) released a Notice of Intent (NOI) to fund the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's USD 8 billion programs to develop regional clean hydrogen hubs ("H2Hubs") across America. H2Hubs will create networks of hydrogen producers, consumers, and local connective infrastructure to accelerate the use of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier.
May 2022: On 19 May 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced USD 24.9 million in funding for six research and development projects to support the advancement of clean hydrogen for electricity generation. DOE will partner with private companies to research advanced technology solutions with the goal to make hydrogen more available and effective as a fuel for electricity generation.
February 2022: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) on 7 February 2022 announced USD 28 million in federal funding for research and development and engineering design projects that advance clean hydrogen as a carbon-free fuel for transportation, industrial use and electricity production. This funding will support innovative approaches to produce lower-cost hydrogen from materials like municipal solid waste, coal and plastic waste, and biomass with carbon capture and storage.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy Announces $28 Million to Develop Clean Hydrogen
December 2021: At the end of 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Infrastructure Act) was passed in the US to support the development of clean hydrogen technology as part of a national energy strategy, the Infrastructure Act includes multiple amendments, modifications, and additions to existing statutory provisions that address the development of hydrogen energy.
June 2021: Secretary Granholm Launches Hydrogen Energy Earth shot to Accelerate Breakthroughs Toward a Net-Zero Economy
Source: Energy.gov
May 2021: President Joe Biden has proposed instituting tax credits for the production of both hydrogen fuel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a move mirroring broader support from industry and lawmakers for aviation-related clean-fuel subsidies.
Source: Flightglobal.com
December 2019: The DOE announced a Notice of Intent to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement to advance innovations that will build new markets for H2@Scale.
August 2019: The DOE announced approximately USD 40 million in FY2019 funding for 29 projects to advance the H2@Scale concept. The selected projects will advance hydrogen storage and infrastructure technologies and identify innovative concepts for hydrogen production and utilization including grid resiliency. H2@Scale is a DOE initiative that brings together stakeholders to advance affordable hydrogen production, transport, storage, and utilization to increase revenue opportunities in multiple energy sectors. It includes DOE-funded projects and national laboratory-industry co-funded activities to accelerate the early-stage research, development and demonstration of applicable hydrogen technologies.
Source: Department of Energy Announces $40 Million in Funding for 29 Projects to Advance H2@Scale
July 2019: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced USD 50 million for new and innovative research of technologies for trucks, off-road vehicles, and the fuels that power them. The projects selected for funding include those relating to hydrogen storage and hydrogen fueling technologies for medium and heavy-duty transportation.