As part of our weeklong celebration of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, in coordination with other DOE Offices, announced its intent to issue a funding opportunity to analyze the potential for streamlined regional clean hydrogen deployments to cut costs, create jobs and address climate and environmental justice goals over the coming decade. Clean hydrogen is a key piece to achieve Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 with the ability to address some of the larger emissions challenges in hard-to-decarbonize sectors but its cost is still too high. Co-locating clean hydrogen supply and demand in specific regions can pave the way towards meeting DOE’s Hydrogen Shot while creating economic, social and environmental benefits at the local and regional level.   

These potential regional deployments would include production, delivery, storage, and end-use of clean hydrogen across multiple applications or sectors and be implemented over the coming years. Projects of interest under this potential funding opportunity will study potential hydrogen producers, consumers, and infrastructure to quantify the impact each clean hydrogen deployment could have on multiple technical, economic, social, equity and environmental fronts. Examples of metrics include decarbonization potential, system cost, revenue potential, and metrics for environmental justice, such as potential for regional economic growth, job creation, reduction in criteria pollutant emissions, and creation of educational and workforce development opportunities.

Today’s announcement is an example of a concrete action to address feedback received during the first Hydrogen Shot Summit and in response to the DOE Hydrogen Program Request for Information issued earlier this year on viable hydrogen demonstrations, including specific locations, that can help lower the cost of hydrogen and lift up disadvantaged communities. 

Learn more about DOE’s intent for this potential funding opportunity.

This announcement is part of a weeklong celebration of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day, held annually on October 8 in recognition of hydrogen’s atomic weight of 1.008. Learn how you can celebrate Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day with DOE.