International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy

U.S. National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap (June 2023) Strategy and Roadmap at a Glance (June 2023)

Update: June 2026 In November 2025, the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced its organizational realignment and the establishment of the Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) (See Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) Organizational Structure). Channelling federal resources to the most pressing energy and national security challenges of the 21st century, its three pillars include 1) the Office of Critical Minerals, Materials and Manufacturing, 2) the Office of Energy Technology (E-Tech), and 3) the Office of Innovation, Affordability and Consumer Choice. Work under the former Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) is now part of the Alternative Fuels and Feedstocks Office (AFFO) under the E-Tech Pillar.   In November 2025, Executive Order 14363 launched the Genesis Mission a national initiative to build the world's most powerful scientific platform to accelerate discovery science, strengthen national security, and drive energy innovation. Genesis Mission’s goal is to develop an integrated platform that connects the world's best supercomputers, experimental facilities, AI systems, and unique datasets across every major scientific domain to double the productivity and impact of American research and innovation within a decade. Fuel cells are a key technology that will help enable meeting the Genesis goal.   In October 2025, Audrey Robertson was confirmed as the Assistant Secretary of Energy for the Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation.   In July 2025, The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3) was signed into law and it included: termination of the personal and commercial clean vehicle credits for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025; increase the credit values for CCUS within wells for enhanced oil recovery; shorten the timeframe to claim 45V, requiring that hydrogen production facilities commence construction by January 1, 2028, to be eligible; and revision to the 45Z tax credit for clean fuels (including hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives), extending the credit to the end of 2029.

Update: June 2026 In alignment with administration and CMEI priorities, AFFO RD&D areas will include 1) fuel-flexible fuel cells for data centers, 2) geologic hydrogen 3) domestic fertilizer production, and 4) nuclear-integrated electrolysis.   In March 2026, DOE released a solicitation on use of AI to enhance R&D, and that included opportunities for fuel cell catalyst development and manufacturing improvements (See Energy Department Announces $293 Million in Funding to Support Genesis Mission National Science and Technology Challenges | Department of Energy).   In September 2025, AFFO exceeded its 5-year program fuel cell cost target of $140/kW – a 30% reduction in cost compared to the 2021 baseline. This was mainly achieved through the development and integration of innovative catalysts.   In April 2025, AFFO published a Technical Program Record summarizing the status of the projected hydrogen storage capacity and manufacturing costs of 700 bar Type IV compressed hydrogen storage systems for onboard light-duty automotive applications based on a single-tank configuration storing 5.6 kg of usable hydrogen (H2).

Update: June 2026 In November 2025, the National Science Foundation awarded a $1-million grant on collaboration between Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Western New England University, regional community colleges, and industry partners to prepare workers for roles in the emerging industry of hydrogen energy.  This will involve creating a one-year course to prepare workers for careers in roles needed by the hydrogen sector and is expected to train 40 people over three years.

Update: June 2026 The 2026 Hydrogen Americas Summit & Exhibition will take place 6–7 October at the George R. Brown Convention Centre in Houston, Texas.   The 2027 Center for Hydrogen Safety Americas Conference will take place March 15 - 18, 2027 at California State University in Los Angeles, CA.   Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day will take place on October 8.

Update: June 2026 In April 2026, DOE released its FY27 budget justification.  It includes “research related to geologic hydrogen resource characterization and development will be enhanced to demonstrate global leadership of this domestic resource opportunity in addition to existing blue and gray hydrogen R&D.”

Update: June 2026 In December 2025, The 2026 edition of the National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA-2 Hydrogen Technologies Code was released. This code provides fundamental safeguards for the generation, installation, storage, piping, use, and handling of hydrogen in compressed gas (GH2) form or cryogenic liquid (LH2) form. Sandia National Laboratories was an active contributor and their work resulted in substantial improvements to how setback distances are calculated, frequently resulting in reduction in setback distance requirements.

Federal websites relating to hydrogen and fuel cell policy, research programs, and stakeholder associations: U.S. Department of Energy Hydrogen Program U.S. Department of Energy Fuel Cell Technologies Program Key stakeholder associations: California Fuel Cell Parternship California Hydrogen Business Council Colorado Cleantech Industries Association Connecticut Hydrogen-Fuel Cell Coalition Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association Hawaii Technology Development Corporation Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition Renewable Hydrogen Alliance

June 2023 US government (USG) released a national clean hydrogen strategy and roadmap December 2020 The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released its Hydrogen Program Plan in November 2020. The Plan is a coordinated effort across multiple offices within the DOE and provides the framework for hydrogen research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) activities. The Hydrogen Program Plan focuses on advancing affordable production, transport, storage, and use of hydrogen across different sectors of the economy. DOE National Labs published three H2@Scale technical reports related to resource analysis as well as supply and demand potential for hydrogen. Analysis indicates that the demand potential for hydrogen in the U.S. may be 2 to 4 times higher than today’s volumes of 10 million metric tons. ____________________________________________________________________________ June 2020 Road Map to a US Hydrogen Economy: Full Report "A coalition of major oil & gas, power, automotive, fuel cell, and hydrogen companies have come together to develop a Road Map to a US Hydrogen Economy. This comprehensive Road Map details how the U.S. can expand its global energy leadership, by scaling up activity in the rapidly emerging and evolving hydrogen economy, as policy makers and industry work together and take the right steps. More Planning Documents In 2006, the DOE's hydrogen and fuel cell activities were documented at a high level in the Hydrogen Posture Plan PDF 2.46MB), which also included U.S. Department of Transportation activities. In 2011, the Department of Energy released the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Plan that outlines the strategy, activities, and plans of the DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program. Detailed discussions of the barriers as well as current and planned RD&D activities can be found in the hydrogen R&D plans of the individual DOE offices, as follows: Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE): Multiyear Research, Development and Demonstration Plan Office of Nuclear Energy (NE): Nuclear Hydrogen R&D Plan (PDF 1.81MB) Office of Fossil Energy (FE): Hydrogen from Coal Program Research, Development and Demonstration Plan (PDF 1.45MB) Office of Science (SC): Basic Research Needs for the Hydrogen Economy(PDF 7.24MB) Reports to Congress DOE's Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Activities, Progress, and Plans Report to Congress (PDF 1.95MB) DOE's Fuel Cell School Buses Report to Congress (PDF 783KB) The Secretary of Energy's First Biennial Report to Congress Responding to Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC) Findings and Recommendations during (PDF 123KB)Fiscal Year 2007 DOE's Solar and Wind Technologies for Hydrogen Production Report to Congress (PDF 910KB)

United States Statement(PDF); 40th Steering Committee Meeting; Washington DC, USA; 4-5 October 2023 United States Statement(PDF); 36th Steering Committee Meeting; Virtual, 16 - 17 Nov 2021 United States Statement (PDF); 34th Steering Committee Meeting; Virtual, 22 - 25 June 2021 United States Statement (PDF); 34th Steering Committee Meeting; Virtual, 1 - 4 December 2020 United States Statement (PDF); 33nd Steering Committee Meeting; Virtual, 16 - 19 June 2020 United States Statement (PDF); 32nd Steering Committee Meeting; Seoul, Republic of Korea; 21-25 October 2019 United States Statement (PDF 497KB); 31st Steering Committee Meeting; Vienna, Austria; 9-12 April 2019 United States Statement (PDF); 30th Steering Committee Meeting; Pretoria, South Africa; 4-7 December 2018 United States Statement (PDF); 29th Steering Committee Meeting; Kobe, Japan; 8-11 May 2018 United States Statement (PDF); 28th Steering Committee Meeting; Netherlands; 20-23 November 2017 United States Statement (PDF); 27th Steering Committee Meeting; Hamburg, Germany; 25-28 April 2017 United States Statement (PDF); 26th Steering Committee Meeting; Gwangju, Republic of Korea; 1-4 November 2016 United States Statement (PDF 434KB); 25th Steering Committee Meeting; Berkeley, CA, USA; 17-20 May 2016 United States Statement (PDF); 24th Steering Committee Meeting; Grenoble, France; 1-3 December 2015 United States Statement (PDF); 23rd Steering Committee Meeting; Wuhan, China; 27-28 May 2015 United States Statement (PDF 2.60MB); 22nd Steering Committee Meeting; Rome, Italy; 2-3 December 2014 United States Statement (PDF 1.45MB); 21st Steering Committee Meeting; Oslo, Norway; 19-21 May 2014 United States Statement (PDF 3.25MB); 20th Steering Committee Meeting; City of Fukuoka, Japan; 20-21 November 2013 United States Statement (PDF 2.69MB); 19th Steering Committee Meeting; London, United Kingdom; 23-24 May 2013 United States Statement (PDF 5.23MB); 18th Steering Committee Meeting; Seville, Spain; 14 November 2012 United States Statement (PDF 3.96MB); 17th Steering Committee Meeting; Cape Town, South Africa; 3-4 May 2012 United States Presentation (PDF 1.16MB); 13th Joint Meeting of the ILC & SC; Essen, Germany; May 2010 United States Statement(PDF 3.16MB); ILC/SC Joint Meeting; Washington, DC; 1-3 December 2009 United States Statement (PDF 580KB); Implementation-Liaison Committee Meeting; Seoul, Korea; 11-14 June 2007 United States Statement (PDF 427KB); Steering Committee Meeting Sao Paulo, Brazil; 24-25 April 2007 United States Statement (PDF 352KB); Implementation-Liaison Committee Meeting; Oxford, England; 30 January - 1 February 2007 United States Statement (PDF 2.77MB); Implementation-Liaison Committee Meeting; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 22 March 2005 United States Statement (PDF 1.67MB); Steering Committee Meeting; Beijing, China; 26-28 May 2004 U.S. Secretary of Energy Statement (PDF 96KB); IPHE Inaugural Ministerial Meeting; Washington, D.C.; 20 Nov 2003

Contact: Sunita Satyapal | Sunita.Satyapal@ee.doe.gov & Vanessa Arjona Vanessa.Arjona@ee.doe.gov