(Washington / USA) – US President Jo Biden signed the infrastructure law (“Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act”, IIJA) yesterday Monday afternoon (local time). This enables investments in transport, environmental and energy projects at an unprecedented level. The draft law led to infighting between Democrats and Republicans. It passed the Senate in August. Congress agreed last Friday. With the President's signature, funds totaling 1,2 trillion dollars (1,02 trillion euros) are now available over the next five years.
The funds will be used to modernize the country's outdated and sometimes dilapidated infrastructure in all areas. This includes, among other things, electricity and the Internet, roads and bridges, the transport sector (buses, trains, ports), the construction of charging stations for electric cars, but also the replacement of lead pipes in the drinking water supply, which is necessary for health reasons, as well as the elimination of environmental damage and - pollution in disadvantaged communities.
Promote hydrogen as a clean energy source
A section of the law emphasizes the need to accelerate research, development and deployment of hydrogen from clean energy sources. Accordingly, the hydrogen research and development program of the US Department of Energy (DOE) will be expanded. 
It is intended to promote the use of clean hydrogen across sectors. As part of an additional program, the DOE will “create at least four regional centers for the production, processing, delivery, storage and end-use of clean hydrogen. Funding totaling eight billion dollars (2022 billion euros) is available for this purpose between 2026 and 6,8. It is also planned to develop a national strategy and roadmap to promote a clean hydrogen economy. There is $500 million (437 million euros) for a program to build a domestic supply chain. The law provides another billion dollars (0,87 billion euros) to reduce the production costs of clean hydrogen and for the commercialization of electrolysers. The US national research institutions National Energy Technology Laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Idaho National will be instrumental in establishing new regional and clean hydrogen hubs and initiating and supporting clean hydrogen production programs.
“Clean” doesn’t necessarily mean “green”
However, in this law, “clean” hydrogen cannot be equated with its production from renewable sources. Rather, it can be produced using a number of domestic resources, it says. There is a range from “low-carbon” to “carbon-free”. This includes renewable energies, but according to the US view also electricity from fossil fuels with capture, use and storage of carbon (Carbon Capture Use and Storage, CCUS), as well as explicitly nuclear power.
The US Secretary of Energy will develop a standard for “the carbon intensity of clean hydrogen production” “in consultation with external stakeholders” and environmental regulators. The initial benchmark is an emission of a maximum of two kilograms of carbon dioxide per kilogram of hydrogen (kg-CO2/kg-H2). After five years, the technological and economic feasibility should be checked and adjusted.
deep link
The “Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act” is 1.039 pages long. The projects for the energy source “hydrogen” can be found from page 577 (Title III – Fuels and Technology Infrastructure Investments; Subtitle B – Hydrogen Research and Development). Download at https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684/text (click on “Text”)
Summary
The summary of the law runs to 129 pages. The sections on hydrogen can be found on page 74. Download at
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Infrastructure%20Investment%20and%20Jobs%20Act%20-%20Section%20by%20Section%20Summary.pdf
Photos
US President Biden signed the new infrastructure law on November 15th. © whitehouse.gov
