DOE Awards $3.2M in Vouchers to Accelerate Adoption of Clean Hydrogen

WASHINGTON — The Department of Energy has awarded $3.2 million in voucher support to 31 small businesses and other entities to advance a range of clean hydrogen technologies.

The award of the vouchers, which can be used to obtain “in-kind support” from participating organizations, is part of a larger rollout of $9.8 million presented to 111 small businesses and other organizations.

The Hydrogen-related projects will encompass multiple key technology areas, including clean hydrogen production and storage; industrial decarbonization; carbon management; advanced materials and manufacturing; bioenergy; and resource sustainability, the department said.

The Voucher Program is funded by the bipartisan infrastructure law as part of the Technology Commercialization Fund and leverages DOE’s recent partnership agreement with ENERGYWERX, an innovation hub that facilitates cooperative and joint activities between DOE and industry, utilities and others.

The program is intended to help small businesses and other non-traditional partners access testing facilities or obtain third-party subject matter expertise needed to advance their technologies, business or energy projects to the next level.

The available support works to increase the adoption readiness of the participating organizations’ products, ultimately accelerating market liftoff for impactful, clean energy technologies nationwide, the department said.

This program supports the goals of the National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and aligns with the priorities of the Hydrogen Interagency Task Force, which is coordinating a whole-of-government approach to advancing clean hydrogen. 

These government-wide efforts include tax incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act; deployment of the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs; and ongoing research, development and demonstration activities to drive down the cost of clean hydrogen and achieve the Hydrogen Shot goal of $1 per kilogram within a decade.

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue