Why Supporting Hydrogen in Build Back Better is Good for the Climate

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) asserts that hydrogen is a critical tool for reaching full decarbonization in the U.S. by 2050, particularly for sectors that are challenging or impossible to electrify. The document advocates for the hydrogen production tax credit (PTC) in the Build Back Better Act (BBBA), stating it will incentivize both 'green' hydrogen (from electrolyzers powered by low-carbon electricity) and 'blue' hydrogen (from fossil fuels with carbon capture and low methane leaks). According to CATF, the PTC will primarily benefit the green hydrogen market while accelerating the development of necessary infrastructure. The document identifies six key sectors for hydrogen application: heavy trucking, marine shipping, aviation fuels, industrial process heating, ironmaking, and power system balancing. Additionally, it claims that hydrogen can improve local air quality compared to internal combustion engines and that public investment in hydrogen demonstration projects could create approximately 10,000 permanent jobs over the next decade.

• Hydrogen is necessary to decarbonize sectors that are difficult or impossible to electrify to help the U.S. and the world achieve full decarbonization by 2050.
• CATF identifies six specific 'hard-to-electrify' sectors where hydrogen is most useful: heavy trucking, marine shipping, aviation fuels, industrial process heating, ironmaking, and power system balancing.
• Low-carbon hydrogen can be produced via 'green' pathways (electrolyzers with low-carbon electricity) or 'blue' pathways (fossil fuels with carbon capture and minimized methane leaks), with blue hydrogen potentially offering a faster and cheaper near-term scale-up.
• The hydrogen production tax credit (PTC) in the Build Back Better Act is designed to support low-carbon hydrogen, with the largest payouts expected for renewable energy-based producers.
• Public spending of $6.45 billion on hydrogen production demonstration projects is estimated to create nearly 5,000 jobs in 2023, 18,000 in 2025, and approximately 10,000 permanent jobs over the following decade.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Why Supporting Hydrogen in Build Back Better is Good for the Climate. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/10095348/hydrogen-factsheet.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Why Supporting Hydrogen in Build Back Better is Good for the Climate. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/10095348/hydrogen-factsheet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Why Supporting Hydrogen in Build Back Better is Good for the Climate |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/10095348/hydrogen-factsheet.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforcendwhy, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Why Supporting Hydrogen in Build Back Better is Good for the Climate}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/10095348/hydrogen-factsheet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }