This is the text version of the video Opening Remarks from the U.S. Department of Energy at the DOE Hydrogen Program 2022 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting.

Sunita Satyapal, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office: Thank you for joining us. We have over 2,300 registered from over 50 countries. And I know you've heard me say this in past years, how exciting a time this is for hydrogen, but that is especially true this year. And this is our first AMR since President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and we're working hard to execute those historical investments that the bipartisan BIL has allocated for clean hydrogen.

And so, now more than ever we need all of us rowing our boats in the same direction, growing the network, building the collaboration, gaining momentum. And I can't think of a better person to start us off with the inspiration, the enthusiasm that this moment merits, and that's the person leading the U.S. Department of Energy to enable clean, equitable energy for all Americans, and it is such an honor to introduce the Secretary of Energy and the second woman ever to lead DOE, Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

So, Secretary, we are so excited to have you with us. So, over to you.

Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Department of Energy: Thank you. Thank you so much, Dr. Satyapal, and really for the introduction but for all of your incredible work in not just organizing the hydrogen Annual Merit Review but for everything you're doing every day to make this vision of a hydrogen future, hydrogen economy, clean hydrogen energy a reality. So, it's incredible to see—I'm looking—we've got about 740-some-odd participants tuning in for this year's opening plenary, so welcome, everybody. Those of you who joined us for the 2021 review might recall us in fact saying that hydrogen has the potential to be perhaps the most important clean energy innovation in the world. And getting this right is going to mean unlocking a source of clean, dispatchable power and really a new method of energy storage. And it's going to mean decarbonizing heavy industry, decarbonizing transportation, giving fossil energy workers skills-matched job opportunities in the clean energy economy of tomorrow. You helped to shed light on all that potential over the year, and years of research and development, and now that we're at this point, we want to maximize that potential at the Department of Energy. That's why over a year ago, as you all know, we announced our one-for-one-in-one Hydrogen Earthshot, which was to set this bold goal in bringing down the cost of clean hydrogen to $1.00 for one kilogram within one decade.

And in the time since I know I've had countless conversations with energy ministers and business leaders all over the world who've told me they think that hydrogen is the absolute key to this clean energy transition. So, today I am here to tell you that I think we are on really the cusp of hydrogen's big moment. And this administration is really gearing up to make the most of it. So, as Sunita said, as part of President Biden's infrastructure law the Department of Energy is developing a hydrogen strategy and a clean hydrogen standard. And perhaps most importantly, we're making this historic $9.5 billion investment in clean hydrogen. And that funding is going to allow us to make massive leaps at every step of the innovation cycle, from research and development to demonstration, deployment.

So, I just want to take a moment to thank the many DOE employees that are working on our hydrogen efforts around the clock since the president signed the law seven months ago. I kid you not: they have been working like dogs. Our Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, of course phenomenal work, as well as the folks in our Offices of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, Nuclear Energy, and Science, along with ARPA-E, our Advanced—which, as you know, is the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy—and our new Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations.

And I also want to thank all of you for offering a helping hand. When we asked for input on the best path forward for implementation, you all stepped up. You sent 5,000 pages' worth of responses. And when we asked key stakeholders to attend dozens of workshops and seminars, many of you showed up. You offered your feedback. And we're going to need more of that collaborative spirit in the months and in the years ahead because our work is really just getting started. We know, for example, that we can't afford stranded assets weighing down the hydrogen economy's growth. And so, to avoid that, we want to map out where we'll actually find hydrogen suppliers and users nationwide and where we're going to see demand growing. And that, we're going to make the match through our H2 Matchmaker tool, which you can use and contribute to through our website right now.

We also know that we've got to advance hydrogen in a way that actually makes the most of its promise as an affordable, climate-friendly technology. And that's why I'm delighted to share two big announcements with you today. First up, we are officially opening our Hydrogen Shot Incubator Prize. It's a pool of $2.5 million that's going to be available to support innovative concepts for producing clean, affordable hydrogen to get that $1.00 per kilogram within the decade. You're going to hear a bit more about that from Dr. Satyapal about what we are looking for and how you can participate.

And second, the moment you've been waiting for. Today, we are issuing our notice of intent to provide $8 billion for the development of at least four regional clean hydrogen hubs across the country. This notice of intent is our first major step forward in getting this funding out the door and into the field. So, we'll have more to share in the coming months, but I can tell you right now that we are going to be looking for proposals that prioritize environmental justice and equity, that prioritize clean—clean, that prioritize community engagements and workforce development, climate action. So, we're looking forward to what you all come up with, and perhaps you'll draw some inspiration from actually this event, which will showcase DOE-funded projects in hydrogen and fuel cell technology, and it will feature presentations and panel discussions that really zero in on the challenges around our Hydrogen Shot goals. All of it should make clear that, really, there has never been more interest in and more resources behind, and more hope for this technology. And we just cannot let this moment slip by.

So, keep working with us and with each other. Ready your best ideas. Make use of that H2 Matchmaker tool if you haven't already. And together we will ensure that this big moment for clean hydrogen changes the course of history. So, thank you all so much for helping us to build our hydrogen-powered, clean energy future. Sunita, back to you.