Review - HR 9851 Introduced – Heavy Industry Hydrogen

Last month, Rep Sorensen (D,IL) introduced HR 9551, the Hydrogen for Industry Act of 2024. The bill would require DOE to establish the ‘Hydrogen Technologies for Heavy Industry Demonstration Program’ to provide grants or cooperative agreements to demonstrate industrial end-use applications of hydrogen. The bill would authorize $1.2 billion for the period of fiscal years 2025 through 2029.

The bill would amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 by adding a new §969E, Hydrogen Technologies for Heavy Industry Demonstration Program.

HR 9851 is virtually identical to S 646 that was introduced in March of 2023. There has been no action in the Senate on that bill to date. The sole difference between the two bills is the funding authorization dates; 2025-2029 in the House bill and 2024-2028 in the Senate bill.

Moving Forward

Sorensen is a member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee to which the bill was assigned for consideration. This means that there may be sufficient influence to see the bill considered in Committee. Unfortunately, the new large-spending authorization on an unconventional energy source is probably a non-starter with most Republican members of the Committee. Some lower level of funding may provide an acceptable compromise, but it is unlikely that any work will proceed on this legislation in the short time remaining in the session. A Democratically controlled House in the 119^th Congress (a possibility) would make such a compromise less necessary.

 

For more information on the provisions of the bill, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-9851-introduced - subscription required.

Review - S 646 Introduced – Hydrogen Technologies

Earlier this month, Sen Coons (D,DE) introduced S 646, the Hydrogen for Industry Act of 2023. The bill would require DOE to establish the ‘Hydrogen Technologies for Heavy Industry Demonstration Program’ to provide grants or cooperative agreements to demonstrate industrial end-use applications of hydrogen. The bill would authorize $1.2 billion for the period of fiscal years 2024 through 2028.

Moving Forward

While Coons is not a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to which this bill was assigned for consideration, three of his cosponsors {Sen Hickenlooper (D,CO), Sen Cassidy (R,LA), Sen Heinrich (D,NM)} are members. This means that there should be sufficient influence to see this bill considered by the Committee. Beyond the cost of the program, I see nothing that would engender any organized opposition to this bill. I suspect that the bill would receive some level of bipartisan support if ways could be found to fund this new grant program.

 

For more details about the provisions of the bill, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/s-646-introduced - subscription required.

Bills Introduced – 3-2-23

Yesterday, with just the Senate in session, there were 37 bills introduced. Four of those bills may receive additional coverage in this blog:

S 646 A bill to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to establish a Hydrogen Technologies for Heavy Industry Demonstration Program, and for other purposes. Coons, Christopher A. [Sen.-D-DE]

S 647 A bill to require the Secretary of Transportation to establish a grant program to support the use of hydrogen- or ammonia-fueled equipment at ports and to require the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to conduct a study, together with the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of Transportation, regarding the feasibility and safety of using hydrogen and ammonia as fuels in maritime applications. Cornyn, John [Sen.-R-TX]

S 648 A bill to require the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, to establish a grant program to demonstrate the performance and reliability of heavy-duty fuel cell vehicles that use hydrogen as a fuel source, and for other purposes. Coons, Christopher A. [Sen.-D-DE] 

S 649 A bill to require the Secretary of Energy to establish a hydrogen infrastructure finance and innovation pilot program, and for other purposes. Cornyn, John [Sen.-R-TX]

This is an interesting package of legislation that has obviously been coordinated between Cornyn and Coons. I will be watching these bills for language and definitions that address the security needs of any significant hydrogen technology supporting installation. Hydrogen is one of the DHS chemicals of interest that trigger a Top Screen reporting requirement. It will be interesting to see if this is taken into account in these bills.