A bill approved last week by the House Energy and Technology Committee charges the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection with developing a hydrogen strategic plan that encourages the use of hydrogen produced from renewable energy, and prioritizes its use in the sectors of the economy that are hardest to electrify. The department would also have to write regulations defining “clean hydrogen,” a process that will likely generate considerable debate. There is a growing consensus that clean hydrogen will have a major role to play in the shift to a clean energy economy. The U.S. Department of Energy plans to award up to $7 billion to establish six to 10 regional hydrogen hubs across the country for the production, processing, delivery, storage and end-use of clean hydrogen. Connecticut has applied to be part of a Northeast hub along with Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maine, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.
Connecticut needs a plan — and a definition — for ‘clean hydrogen,’ stakeholders say