Celebrate Hydrogen Day All Week Long

Each year, the hydrogen community eagerly counts down the days to October 8. Why? Because 10/08 = 1.008, the same sequence of numbers as the atomic weight of hydrogen! 

October 8—National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day—is like a birthday party for hydrogen. And best of all, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) keeps the fun rolling all week long.

Hydrogen Week marks an annual opportunity to celebrate hydrogen and the crucial role this simple yet powerful element plays in supporting a robust energy future for all Americans.

To kick things off, let's look at some key facts about hydrogen in America today.

• Hydrogen is already essential to our everyday lives. We may not interact with it directly every day, but hydrogen is used in industrial and chemical applications such as petroleum refining and fertilizer production—important processes that are essential to our quality of life. Hydrogen is also used in food processing, steel manufacturing, and cosmetics.
• Hydrogen is hard at work moving goods and people. Hydrogen has a growing role in transportation and material-handling applications, with more than 70,000 hydrogen-powered forklifts already moving consumer goods in America's warehouses and growing investments in hydrogen for heavy-duty transportation like long-haul trucks and transit buses.
• Advanced hydrogen technology is being deployed across the country. Today we have 4.5 gigawatts of electrolyzers—which produce hydrogen from water and electricity—being built or already operational. That is 25 times more than what we had in 2021.  

There are plenty of fun and educational activities you can do to celebrate Hydrogen Week.

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day Walk 2024. DOE colleagues celebrate Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day each year with a brisk lunchtime walk of 1.008 mile (yes, we track the exact distance on our smartphones). And we promise to share photos on social media. You are encouraged to do the same in your neighborhood or workplace—in fact, if you’re feeling especially energetic and you have the time, make it 10.08 miles! Then show off with a social media post tagging #H2DayWalk or #H2DayRun with a picture and one of our awesome H2 walk/run graphics or a customized certificate!

Get active, get social. Follow EERE on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn and share a photo or post. Maybe even add something new and interesting you've learned about hydrogen. Don't forget to tag #NationalHydrogenDay #HydrogenNow and #FuelCellsNow in your post.

Get smarter about hydrogen. Increase your H2IQ by accessing valuable DOE resources, including fact sheets, introductory materials, and multimedia— including an overview video from Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. Speaking of facts about hydrogen—did you know that 10% of your body weight is composed of hydrogen? Learn more hydrogen facts from our hydrogen and fuel cells posters!

Test your knowledge. Take our updated 12-question Hydrogen Quiz and see how much you know, and how much there is to learn about the universe's most abundant element. Take a screenshot of your quiz results and share on social media! 

Stay informed and up to speed. Subscribe to Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) news for the latest updates on hydrogen and fuel cell research and receive invites to webinars and events throughout the year.

Ready for a deeper dive? The U.S. National Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap released in 2023 explores detailed ways in which hydrogen can contribute to national goals across the economy.

The federal government is funding efforts to overcome all the barriers to hydrogen today—from advancing technologies in the laboratory, to deploying them in the field, to addressing safety and environmental concerns. The Hydrogen Interagency Task Force (HIT)—a historic collaboration across numerous federal agencies—will further advance a whole-of-government approach to executing the national strategy. DOE's Hydrogen Program, led by HFTO, is a proud member of that task force. Read more about the HIT, the DOE Hydrogen Program, and HFTO.