Biden-Harris Administration boosting clean hydrogen tech with $750 million

The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), has revealed its intent to issue $750 million in funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen technologies.

The funding is seen as a crucial component of the Administration’s approach to accelerating the widespread use of clean hydrogen and supporting commercial-scale hydrogen deployment.

At the same time, clean hydrogen is considered essential for achieving the US’ goal of a 100% clean electrical grid by 2035 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Together with the regional clean hydrogen hubs (H2Hubs), tax incentives in the President’s Inflation Reduction Act, and ongoing research, development, and demonstration in the DOE Hydrogen Program, the investments are expected to speed up the technical advances and scale-up needed to achieve DOE’s Hydrogen Shot goal of $1 per kilogram of clean hydrogen within a decade. 

Managed by DOE’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO), projects funded through this opportunity will address underlying technical barriers to cost reduction that can not be overcome by scale alone and ensure emerging commercial-scale deployments will be viable with future lower-cost, higher-performing technology.

Reaching cost reduction goals will open new markets for clean hydrogen—creating more clean energy jobs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and strengthening America’s competitiveness in the global clean energy market, DOE stated.

“Today’s announcement is yet another exciting step toward lowering the cost of and scaling-up clean hydrogen production, a versatile fuel essential to the nation’s historic transition to an equitable and secure clean energy future”, said US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.

“By investing in the cutting-edge research and development necessary to making market-ready clean hydrogen a reality, DOE is delivering on President Biden’s promise to implement an ambitious climate agenda.”