WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) announced that he and Representatives Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Conor Lamb (D-PA) introduced H.R. 4909, the bipartisan Clean Hydrogen Energy Act, which aims to make an historic investment in researching and developing clean hydrogen technologies and developing a clean hydrogen economy.

“Providing funding for fuel cell and hydrogen technology paves the way for our nation’s clean energy future,” said Congressman Fitzpatrick. “We must commit to investing in clean energy technologies to reduce our carbon emissions while creating new American job opportunities. Now is the time to pass this much-needed legislation which advances the production, distribution, and storage of clean hydrogen.” 

“In the fight against climate change, hydrogen has the potential to be the best tool we have,” Representative Doyle said. “Hydrogen can decarbonize transportation, power generation, and the industrial sector all while utilizing existing infrastructure and fuel supplies. The U.S. needs to make strong investments into reducing the cost of making clean hydrogen and in developing its end uses, and this legislation does just that.”

“It’s important that the U.S. lead the way on developing this technology and making our industries the cleanest in the world,” Congressman Doyle added. “It would not only be good for the environment; it would grow jobs and the economy as well.”

“Hydrogen represents an exciting opportunity to advance our energy, industrial, and transportation sectors for the 21st century – creating jobs while protecting our environment,” Representative Lamb said. “That potential is what makes investing in this cutting-edge technology commonsense for Western Pennsylvania, and our country. I look forward to advancing this bipartisan bill with my colleagues.”

This legislation would invest in a number of programs to develop the clean hydrogen economy.

• The bill would create a Hydrogen R&D program focused on near, medium, and long-term goals for driving down costs for all sources of hydrogen production, developing the transportation and storage of hydrogen, and for multiple end uses.  

• The legislation would develop 4 hydrogen “Hubs” in geographically diverse areas with hubs focused on the end uses of power generation, transportation, home and commercial heating, and industry. Hubs would enable coordination of projects to build out hydrogen production, storage, and use facilities.

• The bill directs the Secretary of Energy to create a technologically and economically feasible national strategy and roadmap to facilitate widescale production, processing, delivery, storage, and use of clean hydrogen in the United States.

• The bill invests in clean hydrogen manufacturing by providing grants for the buildout of manufacturing centers for producing hydrogen or the infrastructure for its transmission, storage, and use.

• The bill also invests in driving down the cost of hydrogen made through renewable energy by electrolysis. The goal of this section is to get “green” hydrogen below $2 per kilogram of hydrogen by 2026. Funding can also be used for demonstration projects.

Unlike burning hydrocarbons such as natural gas, which creates greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) that contribute to climate change, the combustion of burning hydrogen gas (H2) produces no greenhouse gases, only water vapor (H2O) and small amounts of nitrogen oxide (NOx).

Moreover, hydrogen can be produced by the electrolysis of water into hydrogen and oxygen. The key to widespread adoption of hydrogen as an energy source is developing technology to produce hydrogen that requires less energy than a given unit of hydrogen produces.

Click here for the text of the bipartisan Clean Hydrogen Energy Act.

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