CRES Forum recently hosted a briefing to educate Republican Congressional staff on the potential of hydrogen as a cornerstone of American energy innovation, as well as on the key role of federal incentives in deploying this versatile energy resource to enable American energy dominance.
The event kicked off with welcoming remarks from CRES President Heather Reams who emphasized how unleashing America’s hydrogen economy is a part of our broader energy dominance strategy. She underscored how the United States is uniquely positioned to lead in hydrogen production with our abundant natural resources, robust and adaptable energy infrastructure, and highly skilled workforce ready to deliver large-scale projects.
Following Reams, CRES Vice President of Policy and Advocacy Christina Baworowsky provided an overview of the Section 45V hydrogen production tax credit – a key federal policy driving investment in innovative hydrogen projects such as the Department of Energy (DOE) hydrogen hubs. She traced the history of Republican and bipartisan support for hydrogen technologies and noted that since the enactment of 45V, over $38 billion in investments for hydrogen production projects has been announced.
The heart of the event was a panel discussion, moderated by Rebecca Lorenzen, Senior Policy Manager at CRES Forum, with leading experts from the hydrogen industry, including Nathan Lozanoski of Honeywell UOP, Matt Reeves of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions and Shawn Bennett of Battelle.
The panelists agreed on the importance of durable policies that create market certainty and incentivize hydrogen innovation, asserting that the U.S. hydrogen sector is “ready to go” and poised to accelerate deployment and take on stiff competition from economies such as China and the EU. Through policies like the Section 45V hydrogen production tax credit, our nation can continue unleashing private investment across the country, putting the U.S. ahead of the global hydrogen curve.
As discussions on hydrogen policy continue on Capitol Hill, CRES Forum remains committed to educating policymakers on commonsense clean energy solutions that bolster our energy security and global competitiveness.