U.S. Department of Energy Releases Information Resource to Inform Stakeholder Conversations about Clean Hydrogen
Online resource offers draft responses to an initial selection of concerns about hydrogen—with more responses to be added throughout the year
In recognition of Earth Day, the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) published a valuable new information resource for communities and other stakeholders interested in the benefits and potential impacts of clean hydrogen. The new webpage, "Draft Responses to Frequently Asked Questions and Common Concerns about Clean Hydrogen," provides thorough, scientifically based information in response to an initial collection of high-priority questions asked in a range of community engagements across the nation.
The draft material published today is the first step in DOE's responses to important community concerns—addressing the following questions:
- Is hydrogen safe?
- Does the use of hydrogen produce air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides?
- How advanced is hydrogen leak detection—are the technologies used sufficiently accurate and reliable? And can hydrogen in the atmosphere impact global warming?
- Can water usage for electrolysis pose problems for parts of the United States currently facing water shortages?
Questions and concerns are regularly raised by stakeholders—including environmental justice groups—about hydrogen's opportunities and limitations as a decarbonization solution. These four questions are the first batch among many important concerns that DOE has become aware of though requests for information, public listening sessions held by multiple DOE offices, and other means via DOE's Office of Energy Justice and Equity. HFTO will continue to release draft answers to remaining questions, and additional answers will be developed as new questions are identified through ongoing stakeholder engagement.
The draft materials released today were developed in consultation with clean hydrogen experts at HFTO, using the best available data. These will be considered as drafts while they await full input and concurrence from all DOE Hydrogen Program offices and the Hydrogen Interagency Task Force (HIT). The resulting revised answers will then be published on the HIT website as a government-wide resource, reflecting the expertise and perspectives of multiple federal agencies.
Read more about the frequently asked questions and common concerns.
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