William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review
Abstract
“Green” hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources could play a valuable role in the energy transition. Among other things, green hydrogen’s potential as a source of carbon-free, long-term energy storage could help the nation address the intermittency-related challenges associated with growing reliance on wind and solar power. Green hydrogen also has promise as an energy-dense fuel for industries that are difficult to electrify, such as long-haul transportation and steel and fertilizer manufacturing. Recent federal actions have provided some initial government support for green hydrogen technologies, but significant policy gaps remain. States and the federal government could do much more to promote private investment in green hydrogen, and wind and solar energy incentives and programs implemented over the past decade provide useful blueprints for that important policy work. This Article highlights the unique ways green hydrogen could facilitate deep decarbonization of the U.S. energy sector and identifies specific policy strategies for accelerating the nation’s development and deployment of these promising technologies.