The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $40 MM in funding to advance the development and deployment of clean H₂ technologies. To further decarbonize the grid, DOE is also launching a $20-MM university research consortium to help states and Tribal communities successfully implement grid resilience programs and achieve decarbonization goals. By lowering the costs of clean H₂ and leveraging industry investments in clean technologies, DOE is making significant strides towards President Biden’s goal of a net-zero carbon economy by 2050 that prioritizes historically disadvantaged communities.

“DOE is laser focused on building a future with cleaner manufacturing, transportation, and electricity — all of which can be achieved with clean hydrogen technology,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “These investments will advance cutting-edge technologies and empower state, territory, and tribal leaders to make the best, informed decisions about improving and decarbonizing the electric power grid.” 

This funding opportunity will advance DOE’s H₂ Shot goal of reducing the cost of clean H₂ to $1/kg in 1 decade, while supporting DOE’s H2@Scale initiative, which aims to advance the affordable production, transport, storage, and utilization of clean H₂ to enable decarbonization and revenue opportunities across multiple sectors. Topic areas include projects that will develop technologies for solar fuels created by harvesting sunlight, improve H₂-emissions detection and monitoring, demonstrate higher-density and lower-pressure H₂ storage technologies, and lower the costs and enhance the durability of H₂ fuel cells for medium- and heavy-duty transportation applications.

DOE envisions multiple financial assistance awards in the form of cooperative agreements, with the period of performance being approximately two to four years. DOE encourages applicant teams that include stakeholders within academia, industry, and national laboratories across multiple technical disciplines. Teams are also encouraged to include representation from diverse entities such as minority-serving institutions or through linkages with Opportunity Zones.

The Hydrogen Shot and University Research Consortium Grid Resilience FOA will also provide three-year funding for a regionally diverse university consortium focused on developing a decarbonized and more resilient electrical power system in coordination with universities in Mexico and Canada. This North American consortium will be critical to addressing cross-border grid dependencies and electrical interconnections throughout region.

The application process for both the clean H₂ FOA and University Consortium funding will include two phases: a concept paper and a full application. Concept papers are due on September 23, 2022, and full applications are due on December 1, 2022.