U.S. Energy Department to Invest $31 Million to Support Energy Sector Hydrogen Uses

The U.S. Energy Department on March 4 announced funding for its H2@Scale Initiative, which is focused on wide-scale hydrogen production and utilization across multiple energy sectors to support resilience in power generation and transmission. The agency identified affordability, reliability, and performance of emerging hydrogen and fuel cell technologies as the main challenges to the concept.

The department said that producing hydrogen when electricity generation exceeds demand can help reduce curtailment of renewables and support grid stability. Baseload resources, such as nuclear power plants can generate hydrogen that can be stored, distributed, and used as a fuel for transportation, stationary power, process or building heat, and industrial applications, the agency said.

Concept papers are due by April 8, and applications are due by May 29.