The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has made a significant commitment to advancing clean hydrogen technologies and grid resilience with a funding announcement of nearly $42 million.
The funding will support 22 projects across 14 states, focusing on the development and deployment of critical technologies for producing, storing, and utilizing clean hydrogen. In addition, the DOE has allocated $17.8 million to establish a university research consortium that will assist states and tribal communities in implementing grid resilience programs and achieving decarbonization goals.
The investment comes as part of President Biden’s ambitious clean energy agenda, aiming to achieve a 100% clean electrical grid by 2035 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. By prioritizing the performance and cost improvement of clean hydrogen technologies, the DOE seeks to address challenging sectors such as heavy transportation and industry, while also promoting grid resilience and decarbonization efforts.
Clean hydrogen, produced with minimal or no carbon emissions, has the potential to harness various clean energy resources available in the United States, including renewables, nuclear, and even fossil fuels coupled with carbon capture technology. It offers multiple benefits, such as long-duration energy storage, flexibility, and diverse revenue streams, supporting the expansion of clean electricity generation. By enabling the development of domestic clean energy pathways across different sectors, the advancement of hydrogen technologies will strengthen American energy independence and contribute to the growth of the manufacturing sector, which has already created over 800,000 jobs since President Biden took office.
The funding announcement includes notable projects that aim to accelerate the development and application of hydrogen technologies. Some projects focus on solar fuels, harnessing sunlight to produce clean hydrogen. Others concentrate on improving hydrogen storage technologies, enhancing the efficiency and affordability of hydrogen fuel cells for medium- and heavy-duty transportation applications, and advancing hydrogen emissions detection and monitoring to mitigate potential global warming impacts. These initiatives align with DOE’s Hydrogen Shot goal, which aims to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen to $1 per kilogram within a decade (“1-1-1”). Furthermore, they contribute to DOE’s H2@Scale initiative, which promotes the widespread production, transport, storage, and utilization of clean hydrogen.
The selected projects will be overseen by DOE’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO), a leading authority in hydrogen research and development. Alongside the focus on hydrogen technologies, the funding will support grid resilience programs and collaborations with universities, ensuring a comprehensive approach to achieving the nation’s clean energy objectives.
