U.S. Energy Department Unveils Clean Hydrogen Roadmap to Support Decarbonization Goals

The U.S. Energy Department on June 5 announced the release of the U.S. National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap, providing a framework to speed up the production, processing, delivery, storage, and use of clean hydrogen. The report explores opportunities for clean hydrogen – an energy carrier that can be produced with low or zero emissions – to support national decarbonization goals across multiple sectors of the economy. The report is intended to serve as a living strategy that will continue to be updated with collaboration across government through interagency coordination.

The roadmap presents a strategic framework for achieving large-scale production and use of clean hydrogen, examining scenarios for 2030, 2040, and 2050. The report also includes concrete targets, market-driven metrics, and tangible actions to measure success across sectors. Achieving commercial-scale hydrogen deployment is a key component of Investing in America agenda, Investing in America agenda to spur domestic manufacturing, strengthen supply chains, boost U.S. competitiveness and create jobs. The report indicates that pathways for decarbonization using clean hydrogen are informed by demand scenarios for 2030, 2040, and 2050 with strategic opportunities for 10 million metric tonnes (MMT) of clean hydrogen annually by 2030, 20 MMT annually by 2040, and 50 MMT annually by 2050. Using clean hydrogen can reduce U.S. emissions approximately 10 percent by 2050 relative to 2005, consistent with the U.S. long-term climate strategy, according to the report.

The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided $9.5 billion for clean hydrogen. Further, the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act established additional policies and incentives for hydrogen including a production tax credit that has further boosted a U.S. market for clean hydrogen. DOE’s Hydrogen Shot goal aims to the cost of clean hydrogen to $1 per kilogram within the decade.

The roadmap, developed by DOE in partnership with other federal agencies, highlights the Biden administrations’ whole-of-government approach to tackle the climate crisis and attain a carbon-free grid by 2035 and a net-zero emissions economy by 2050. Transformational policies and programs are encouraging innovation opportunities to further the role of clean hydrogen as an energy source. New policy tools such as the federal funding for regional hydrogen hubs, hydrogen production tax credit, carbon sequestration credit, and decarbonization goals across the U.S. are accelerating actions to scale the clean hydrogen economy.