The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has updated its Hydrogen Program Plan, a foundational resource for advancing research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) of clean hydrogen technologies. The Hydrogen Program Plan specifically identifies and articulates strategic, high-impact areas of focus across DOE’s Hydrogen Program, a cohesive and coordinated effort involving multiple hydrogen-related offices.

Advancing a coordinated strategy for RDD&D is particularly important for clean hydrogen because it has the potential to be used across virtually all sectors of the economy and it can be produced, stored, and delivered in many ways. A successful strategy will need to integrate efforts in renewable, nuclear, and fossil energy—and coordinate across end uses in multiple sectors of the economy.

This plan provides a strategic framework that incorporates RDD&D efforts of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, Office of Nuclear Energy, Office of Electricity, Office of Science, Loan Programs Office, Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, and the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy to advance the production, transport, storage, and use of hydrogen.

In 2023, several federal agencies developed the U.S. National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap, a comprehensive, nationwide framework for accelerating the production, processing, delivery, storage, and use of clean hydrogen. This 2024 update to the Hydrogen Program Plan explains how DOE offices collaboratively work to efficiently implement the strategies outlined in the Strategy and Roadmap. This new version also includes updated supporting data and analysis, a description of the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs, information about ambitious DOE-wide goals established through the Hydrogen Shot™, and examples of DOE-wide efforts to establish a strong workforce, maximize technology efficiency and accelerate innovation in the transition to a hydrogen economy.