U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the Hydrogen Infrastructure Initiative, which is composed of three bills to support the deployment of hydrogen technologies and the buildout of the requisite infrastructure needed to transport, store, and deliver hydrogen. The bipartisan legislative package is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM).
“Hydrogen is a versatile energy source, but we lack the infrastructure to reap its benefits for a wide range of industries,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This legislation would help make hydrogen more accessible and cost-effective so businesses and consumers can utilize this reliable energy resource.”
Background
Hydrogen’s versatility as an energy carrier and feedstock and its lack of greenhouse gas emissions at the point of use makes it an attractive fuel source, especially for hard-to-abate energy sectors like shipping and industry.
However, early adopters of hydrogen face cost barriers and first-mover risks that require federal support to overcome. As a result, significant investment is needed in all parts of the value chain to drive a robust hydrogen economy in the United States.
Goals of the Initiative
The Coons-Cornyn Hydrogen Infrastructure Initiative is comprised of three components to support the deployment of hydrogen technologies in high-impact end-use applications and the buildout of the requisite infrastructure needed to transport, store, and deliver hydrogen.
- Maritime. The Hydrogen for Ports Act would establish a grant program to support hydrogen-fueled equipment at ports and in shipping applications. Ports are well-suited to be early adopters of hydrogen fuel, with multi-modal transportation applications converging on a single location that can share hydrogen infrastructure at scale.
- Heavy Industry. The Hydrogen for Industry Act would establish a grant program to support commercial scale demonstration projects for end-use industrial applications of hydrogen, including in the production of steel, cement, glass, and chemicals. Industrial processes have specific technical requirements that limit the options for substituting heat sources. Hydrogen can supply reliable, high temperature heat, offering favorable characteristics for reducing emissions in the industrial sector.
- Supporting Infrastructure. The Hydrogen Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (HIFIA) creates a pilot financing program to provide grants and flexible, low-interest loans for retrofitted or new hydrogen transport infrastructure, storage projects, and refueling stations. The program is modeled after the highly successful TIFIA and WIFIA programs for highway and water infrastructure and builds on similar goals as the CIFIA program for CO2 infrastructure. The bill also requires a study to address outstanding questions related to transport and storage of hydrogen and an assessment of jurisdiction over siting, construction, safety, and regulation of hydrogen transport infrastructure
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