Advancing the Clean Hydrogen Future Act of 2021

To require the Secretary of Energy to establish a research, development, demonstration, and deployment program to improve the efficiency, increase the durability, and reduce the cost of producing hydrogen using electrolyzers, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Advancing the Clean Hydrogen Future Act of 2021 2. Purposes The purposes of this Act are— (1) to enhance the leadership role of the United States in the widespread use of renewable energy and clean energy technologies; (2) to reduce greenhouse emissions in the United States by increasing the supply of economical hydrogen for use in transportation, industrial, and power-generation applications; (3) to support existing electrolyzer research, development, and demonstration efforts of the Department, including the H2NEW consortium of National Laboratories and the hydrogen and fuel cell community, which was established by the Office of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies of the Department and focuses on making large-scale electrolyzers more durable, efficient, and affordable; and (4) to promote job creation in the United States through the manufacturing of advanced clean energy technologies, including through the manufacturing of electrolyzers and associated systems. 3. Hydrogen electrolysis research, development, demonstration, and deployment program (a) Definitions (1) Department The term Department (2) Electrolysis The term electrolysis (3) Electrolyzer The term electrolyzer (4) Eligible entity The term eligible entity (A) an institution of higher education; (B) a nongovernmental organization; (C) a National Laboratory; (D) a federally recognized Tribal government or Tribal organization; (E) a private entity; and (F) a partnership or consortium of 2 or more entities described in subparagraphs (A) through (E). (5) Institution of higher education The term institution of higher education 20 U.S.C. 1001(a) (6) National Laboratory The term National Laboratory 42 U.S.C. 15801 (7) Program The term program (8) Secretary The term Secretary (b) Establishment Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a research, development, demonstration, and deployment program to improve the efficiency, increase the durability, and reduce the cost of producing hydrogen using electrolyzers. (c) Coordination In establishing and carrying out the program, the Secretary shall— (1) coordinate activities carried out under this section with— (A) activities carried out under other relevant programs of the Department, including activities carried out by the National Laboratories; and (B) activities carried out by other relevant Federal agencies; (2) effectively manage crosscutting research priorities across relevant programs of the Department, including programs carried out by the National Laboratories; and (3) coordinate with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies to ensure the effective management of crosscutting research priorities shared by the Department and those agencies. (d) Collaboration In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall collaborate with— (1) industry; (2) the National Laboratories; (3) other relevant Federal agencies; (4) relevant State agencies; (5) institutions of higher education; and (6) international bodies with relevant scientific and technical expertise. (e) Goal The goal of the program is to reduce the cost of hydrogen produced using electrolyzers to less than $2 per kilogram of hydrogen by 2026. (f) Duration The program shall have a duration of 5 years. (g) Focus The program shall focus on research relating to, and the development, demonstration, and deployment of— (1) low-temperature electrolyzers, including liquid-alkaline electrolyzers, membrane-based electrolyzers, and other advanced electrolyzers, capable of converting intermittent sources of electric power to hydrogen with enhanced efficiency and durability; (2) high-temperature electrolyzers that combine electricity and heat to improve the efficiency of hydrogen production; (3) advanced reversible fuel cells that combine the functionality of an electrolyzer and a fuel cell; (4) new highly active, selective, and durable electrolyzer catalysts and electro-catalysts that— (A) greatly reduce or eliminate the need for platinum group metals; and (B) enable electrolysis of complex mixtures with impurities, including seawater; (5) modular electrolyzers for distributed energy systems and the bulk-power system (as defined in section 215(a) of the Federal Power Act ( 16 U.S.C. 824o(a) (6) low-cost membranes or electrolytes and separation materials that are durable in the presence of impurities or seawater; (7) improved component design and material integration, including with respect to electrodes, porous transport layers and bipolar plates, and balance-of-system components, to allow for scale-up and domestic manufacturing of electrolyzers at a high volume; (8) hydrogen storage technologies; (9) technologies that integrate hydrogen production with— (A) hydrogen compression and drying technologies; (B) hydrogen storage; and (C) transportation or stationary systems; and (10) integrated systems that combine hydrogen production with renewable power generation technologies, including hybrid systems with hydrogen storage. (h) Grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and demonstration projects (1) Grants In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities for projects that the Secretary determines would provide the greatest progress toward achieving the goal of the program described in subsection (e). (2) Contracts and cooperative agreements In carrying out the program, the Secretary may enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with eligible entities and Federal agencies for projects that the Secretary determines would further the purpose of the program described in subsection (b). (3) Demonstration projects In supporting technologies developed under the program, the Secretary shall fund demonstration projects— (A) to demonstrate technologies that produce hydrogen using electrolysis; and (B) to validate information on the cost, efficiency, durability, and feasibility of commercial deployment of the technologies described in subparagraph (A). (4) Applications An eligible entity desiring to receive a grant under paragraph (1), to enter into a contract or cooperative agreement under paragraph (2), or to receive funding for a demonstration project under paragraph (3) shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. (5) Cost sharing In awarding grants, entering into contracts and cooperative agreements, and funding demonstration projects under this section, the Secretary shall require cost sharing in accordance with section 988 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 ( 42 U.S.C. 16352 (i) Reports (1) In general The Secretary shall submit to Congress 2 reports describing, as of the date of the applicable report— (A) the activities carried out by the Secretary under this section; and (B) any progress made toward achieving the goal of the program described in subsection (e). (2) Timing of submissions The Secretary shall submit the reports described in paragraph (1) by— (A) in the case of the first report, not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act; and (B) in the case of the second report, not later than 6 years after that date of enactment. (j) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the program $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026, to remain available until expended.

Summary: Advancing the Clean Hydrogen Future Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a research, development, demonstration, and deployment program to improve the efficiency, increase the durability, and reduce the cost of producing hydrogen using electrolyzers. Electrolyzers are systems that produce hydrogen using electrolysis, a process that uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The goal of the program is to reduce the cost of hydrogen produced using electrolyzers to less than $2 per kilogram of hydrogen by 2026. In carrying out the program, DOE must award grants for projects that DOE determines would provide the greatest progress toward achieving the goal. In addition, DOE must fund demonstration projects under the program to (1) demonstrate technologies that produce hydrogen using electrolysis; and (2) validate information on the cost, efficiency, durability, and feasibility of commercial deployment of those technologies.