In the push to decarbonize the country’s energy sources and expand our energy portfolio with new technologies, hydrogen has been held up as a potential source of low-carbon energy that can help reduce emissions from hard-to-abate industries.

When consumed in a fuel cell, hydrogen emits only water vapor. This zero-emissions fuel is an increasingly appealing option for heavy industries like trucking and steel production, which have proven difficult to transition to clean fuel sources.

The drawbacks of hydrogen energy, at least in its current stage, are the amounts of energy and water that go into separating hydrogen out from its commonly found bonds (such as H2O and hydrocarbons).

Today, about 95% of hydrogen is produced through a process called “steam reforming” of natural gas, which requires significant energy to separate hydrogen out of a methane source. Other techniques, such as electrolysis, produce hydrogen from water molecules, which reduces the reliance on natural gas to produce hydrogen.

Though the industry is still in its infancy, western states have been taking the lead on this new energy source, with states leading their own initiatives for clean hydrogen, and federal programs looking west to develop this technology.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has put forward $8 billion to develop regional clean hydrogen hubs, which will create a national network of hydrogen producers, consumers, and connective infrastructure to help decarbonize certain sectors of the economy.

Four of the seven clean hydrogen hubs selected by DOE are in western states, from the Pacific Northwest to Texas.

The hydrogen hub in California will leverage $1.2 billion to produce hydrogen exclusively from renewable energy and biomass. It plans to reduce emissions by 2 million metric tons per year, largely from the public transportation, trucking, and port operations sectors.

Up the coast is the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub, which will eventually link to the California Hydrogen Hub to create a West Coast freight corridor and address refueling gaps and other infrastructure needs for hydrogen-powered travel on the West Coast.

The Pacific Northwest Hub is proposing locations in Washington, Oregon, and Montana to produce clean hydrogen via electrolysis. The Hub aims to remove 1.7 million tons of CO2 every year, equivalent to the emissions from 400,000 gas-powered cars.

Other DOE hubs include the Heartland Hydrogen Hub across North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota, which will use close to $1 billion to help decarbonize the region’s agricultural sector.

Additionally, in Texas, the Gulf Coast Hydrogen Hub will produce hydrogen through renewables-powered electrolysis as well as natural gas with carbon capture technology. The Texas Hub aims to produce hydrogen for use in fuel cell electric trucks, industrial processes, and marine fuel.  

Other federal efforts to promote hydrogen energy include the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Ports Program, which includes six port authorities receiving funding to advance hydrogen-based port operations. Ports in the West that will expand their use of hydrogen-powered equipment include Oakland, California, Honolulu, Hawaii, and Anchorage, Alaska.

Other initiatives for clean hydrogen have been initiated from the state level, including a push from New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, and action from the Colorado General Assembly.

In central Utah, a project is underway to build two underground caverns, each the size of the Empire State Building, to store hydrogen gas. The plant plans to produce hydrogen using excess solar and wind power in the spring and fall, then store it in the caverns to be used when energy demand is higher.

Another recent project in Washington will bring a hydrogen fuel cell to the Klickitat Valley Health hospital in Goldendale, with the help of Kohler Energy and Toyota.

Reusing EV batteries: Canadian company Moment Energy recently won a $20 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to build a factory in Texas to produce battery storage units out of repurposed electric vehicle batteries.

The technology takes in used EV batteries and assembles them into energy storage units that can be shipped around the country. While they are not the first company to employ such technology, the DOE grant will help Moment build the largest operation of its kind in the country.

The Texas factory hopes to supply battery storage to mid-sized commercial and industrial buyers, who have been largely left out of the energy storage boom, which has tended to favor either smaller residential customers or massive utility-scale projects.

Housing wildfire survivors: The Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation was nationally recognized with an award from the National Council of State Housing Agencies for its quick rollout of the Fire Relief Housing Program last year. The group provided housing to as many as 600 families whose homes were destroyed by fires on Maui in August 2023.

The program was launched at the request of Hawaii Governor Josh Green, who spurred the group to move quickly to provide housing to residents as soon as possible.

In Oregon, where wildfires in recent years have also destroyed homes and communities, residents are moving into the newly built Wecoma Place, which is one of the newest 100% affordable, state-funded projects that gives preference to wildfire survivors.

Read a recent WGA blog that highlights the efforts of Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and Hawaii Governor Josh Green to provide their residents with stable housing following wildfire disasters in both states.

Restoring sagebrush: Across the West, wildfire, drought, and invasive species wipe out as much as one million acres of sagebrush every year. In response, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is dedicating $10 million to sagebrush restoration projects in states like Nevada, Colorado, Idaho, and elsewhere. As much as $1 million will also go to projects led by tribal communities.

Starter homes: Utah Governor Spencer Cox hosted a groundbreaking ceremony recently for a project to build 275 starter homes in Plain City, Utah. The homes, which are all priced below $400,000, were supported by one of the financing tools that the Utah Legislature made available this year to encourage developers to build more owner-occupied and attainable homes for Utah residents.

The project chips away at Governor Cox’s ambitious goal to build 35,000 new starter homes in Utah by 2028.

Check out BRAND West, the Chair initiative of New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, which focuses on addressing the housing crisis in the West. Governor Cox will host the initiative’s first workshop on December 17 and 18 in Salt Lake City, where the Governor and housing experts will explore innovative ways to build more homes and expand housing access.

Protecting the San Pedro: Alongside advocacy groups and local and federal officials, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs announced a $1.5 million grant to complete a water recharge project on the San Pedro River.

“The San Pedro River is a one-of-a-kind desert river that plays a critical role in the habitat and ecosystem of the region,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “This funding isn’t just dollars and cents, it’s a down payment on the state’s long-term commitment to securing Arizona’s water future. Important water conservation projects like this, alongside efforts to reform rural groundwater management will bring real solutions to build a sustainable future across the entire state.”

The funds will help capture precipitation and stormwater to recharge the aquifer, protect flows, and improve water quality in the San Pedro River.