Hydrogen

More Than $16 Million in Funding Opportunities Now Open to Accept Proposals in Clean Hydrogen Innovation

On March 15, 2024, Governor Hochul announced more than $16 million in funding opportunities, administered by NYSERDA, to accelerate innovative solutions in clean hydrogen to decarbonize hard-to-electrify sectors and to support the transition to a resilient, zero-emission electric grid. 

Round 2 of PON 5500 and a new cost share PON 5712 are now open to address the following five technical challenges:

• Challenge 1. Hydrogen applications to decarbonize industrial process heat
• Challenge 2. Mitigation of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from hydrogen combustion
• Challenge 3. Hydrogen storage technologies for bulk storage and limited footprint areas
• Challenge 4. Hydrogen-based generation systems for microgrids and grid support services
• Challenge 5. Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles 

Two categories of projects will be considered for funding based on technology readiness levels (TRLs):  

• Category A: Product Development (TRL 4-6)
• Category B: Pilot & Demonstration Projects (TRL 7-9)

Applications for Round 2 of PON 5500  will be accepted through 3:00 p.m. on July 15, 2024.

Applications for PON 5712  will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis through June 26, 2025.

Have Questions?

For PON 5500 round 2, get in touch with us at [email protected].

For PON 5712, get in touch with us at [email protected].

Closed Funding Opportunities

Round 1 of PON 5500 - On August 18, 2023, up to $8M was made available for clean hydrogen innovation to decarbonize industrial process heat and clean hydrogen production and integration with renewable energy.

PON 5322  - On May 24, 2023, Governor Hochul announced a $10 million clean hydrogen funding opportunity for federal funding opportunities.

On Wednesday, June 7, 2023, NYSERDA hosted a public webinar to provide an overview of PON 5322 and to answer questions.

• Presentation Slides [PDF]
• Webinar Recording 

PON 5322 is now closed.

Clean Hydrogen Investment Plan

As part of the Clean Energy Fund (CEF), a $27 million hydrogen innovation budget was approved in January 2023 in the latest NYSERDA Compiled Investment Plan [PDF] (see pages 330-357 for Hydrogen Innovation focus areas) to decarbonize hard-to-electrify sectors, to support the transition away from natural gas, and to provide resilience solutions.

On April 7, 2023 , the States of New York, New Jersey, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts announced the submission of the group’s $3.25 billion proposal for a Northeast Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (NE Hub) to the U.S. Department of Energy to compete for a $1.25 billion share of the $8 billion in federal hydrogen hub funding available as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The proposal submitted includes over one dozen projects across seven Northeast states that advance clean electrolytic hydrogen production, consumption, and infrastructure projects, for hard to decarbonize sectors, including transportation and heavy industry, among others.

This latest announcement advances each State’s leadership in clean hydrogen infrastructure deployment and affirms their respective climate commitments. Specifically for New York, this work supports the State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 85% by 2050.

See more details of the announcement.

See the previous February 2023 Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub announcement.

See the previous August 2022 Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub announcement.

See the previous March 2022 Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub announcement.

In conjunction with NREL, NYSERDA is undertaking a hydrogen strategy study to better understand potential opportunities for hydrogen in New York State’s decarbonization strategy, with a focus on:

• Compiling and analyzing foundational and baseline information and data
• Identifying priority applications for hydrogen, including hard-to-electrify sectors
• Evaluating opportunities for hydrogen production, storage, transport, end-use, cost projections, and other key considerations.

NYSERDA is in the process of commissioning a market analysis study to examine the potential hydrogen economic development opportunities that could accrue in New York State, and any potential policy options that would provide the medium and long-term certainty necessary to foster Hydrogen development in New York.

Since fall 2020, NYSERDA has convened a series of meetings, listening sessions, and direct discussions with individuals and groups across the stakeholder landscape to better understand diverse perspectives on hydrogen in New York and the Northeast region.

As a continuation of this robust engagement, NYSERDA has commenced a series of events – entitled “Hydrogen in NYS: State of the Science” – to provide a forum where interested participants can engage and learn from balanced discussions on a variety of critical hydrogen topics.

Please stay tuned for additional information regarding upcoming events in this series!

Recordings and materials from previous events are available under the ‘Resources and Recordings’ tab.

NYSERDA will continue to learn from the significant hydrogen activities and efforts underway by federal and global partners and jurisdictions, including:

• U.S. Department of Energy
• Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Utilities: NYSERDA has expanded its Memorandum of Understanding with the Danish Ministry to include green hydrogen, furthering our collaboration on innovative technologies and strategies for decarbonization.
• Additional: NYSERDA will continue engaging and learning from global leaders who have identified hydrogen as a key strategy for achieving climate and decarbonization targets, including the United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and others.

NYSERDA is supporting innovation in long-duration energy storage technologies – which may include hydrogen solutions – in order to encourage grid flexibility, system reliability, and renewable optimization.

NYSERDA joined the Center for Hydrogen Safety (Center)  to ensure that New Yorkers will benefit from the latest in hydrogen safety and best practices. The Center is a community of over 75 government, industry, and research participants, working to ensure safety across the industry through research, technical conferences, and convening of an expert Hydrogen Safety Panel for project safety reviews.

The HyBlend Collaborative Research Partnership (Partnership) is a coalition of National Laboratories, universities, and industry researchers working to understand the safety and feasibility of integrating hydrogen into existing gas infrastructure. Findings from the Partnership will allow NYSERDA and partner agencies to better assess the future of existing infrastructure in New York’s decarbonization strategy.

‘Hydrogen in NYS: State of the Science’ Programming

In May 2022, NYSERDA commenced a series of events intended to provide a forum where interested participants can engage and learn from balanced discussions on the varying priorities, questions, and concerns related to hydrogen opportunities in New York and the Northeast region.

Descriptions, recordings, and materials for events in this series are made available below: Kickoff Webinar
May 31, 2022
9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

NYSERDA convened this half-day educational webinar as a springboard for its ongoing ‘Hydrogen in NYS: State of the Science” programming series. This foundational event aimed to provide stakeholders with a level-setting opportunity to discuss many of the key topics and considerations shaping the discourse around hydrogen in New York.

Sessions and topics covered included:

• Introduction to Hydrogen (H₂)
• H2 in NYS: Supporting Analyses and Activities
• Climate & Environmental Justice Considerations
• H2 Primer Sessions: Production Pathways, Electrolyzers & Fuel Cells, Storage & Delivery, and Safety Considerations

Full Recording
Presentation Slides [PDF]