In Its First "Energy Earthshot," the US Department of Energy Launches Its "Hydrogen Shot" Initiative
On June 7, 2021, US Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Granholm announced “Hydrogen Shot,” the first of several “Energy Earthshots,” to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen. The Hydrogen Shot goal is to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen by 80 percent to $1 per kilogram within one decade. The Energy Earthshots, announced at the earlier Leaders on Climate Change event hosted by the Biden administration, are intended to propel next-generation technologies in key clean energy sectors. The Energy Earthshots look beyond incremental advances and aim, instead, at making game-changing breakthroughs that will secure American leadership in enabling net-zero carbon technologies and support sustainable development around the world, to the benefit of all Americans. The DOE news release said that the Energy Earthshots will “drive integrated program development across DOE’s science, applied energy offices, and ARPA-E to address tough technological challenges and cost hurdles, and rapidly advance solutions to help achieve climate and economic competitiveness goals.”
The Hydrogen Shot announcement, made at DOE’s virtual 2021 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting (AMR) under DOE’s Hydrogen Program, was accompanied by a Request for Information (RFI) by DOE requesting input on the following categories:
- Regional Hydrogen Production, Resources, and Infrastructure
- End Users for Hydrogen in the Region, Cost, and Value Proposition
- Greenhouse Gas and Pollutant Emissions Reduction Potential
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI), Jobs, and Environmental Justice
- Science and Innovation Needs and Challenges
All are more fully described in the RFI. Responses are due by July 7, 2021, and should be made as specified in the RFI.
