Hydrogen infrastructure is underdeveloped but steadily expanding as new technologies and regulatory pathways emerge. However, with this growth comes challenges in navigating an evolving hydrogen landscape, including policy shifts, market dynamics, and infrastructure development needs.
The Hydrogen Economy Collaborative (HEC) is a network of state agencies, researchers, environmental nonprofit organizations, and industry professionals working to advance the role of low-carbon hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels in the clean energy transition. GPI facilitates the HEC as a platform to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing on policy, technology, and market developments to advance low-carbon hydrogen adoption.
By convening experts and stakeholders, the HEC aims to identify and address key challenges in hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuel deployment across high-value end-use sectors. The HEC is national in scope, though its primary focus is on the Midwest.
Since 2022, the HEC has hosted a series of bi-monthly presentations and discussions featuring industry experts, policy makers, and researchers. These presentations cover production methods, hydrogen transportation options, high-value end uses, policy development, community impact and equity considerations, research and development, and general hydrogen education.
The HEC meetings and work groups are currently paused as we continue to seek funding opportunities.
To formalize participation, we ask members to sign the HEC charter, which outlines a comprehensive framework to advance the adoption of low-to-zero carbon hydrogen solutions. Its purpose is multifaceted: crafting strategies for hydrogen deployment as part of a net-zero carbon future, increasing stakeholder engagement, and facilitating dialogue among HEC members.
By signing the charter, individuals commit to participating in efforts to advance the hydrogen economy, engage in knowledge-sharing to overcome barriers in the hydrogen sector, and contribute to working groups that align with their expertise and interest.
Learn more about the collaborative
As a member of the collaborative, you will have the opportunity to engage with a wide variety of hydrogen stakeholders and learn about advancements in the field during bimonthly meetings. Together, we will work to find solutions for emerging issues in the hydrogen space and develop resources that facilitate the expansion of the hydrogen market.
-
- Join a network of people interested and working in the hydrogen space
- Get involved in a work group
- Listen to presentations from around the world on hydrogen work
- Collaborate on policy decisions around hydrogen
HEC work groups
Work groups provide the opportunity to deepen your involvement in HEC, identify policy and technology gaps and needs, and establish ways to meet them. We facilitate the following work groups:
- Policy and education work group: Focused on tracking and analyzing policy developments, market trends, and finance opportunities that contribute to the growth of the hydrogen economy.
- Infrastructure work group: Dedicated to exploring advancements in hydrogen storage, transportation, and end-use applications to enhance deployment readiness and efficiency. This work group was put on hold in mid-2024 due to a delay in the release of the final 45V rules, which was creating market uncertainty and leading to delays in final investment decisions.
- Green ammonia work group: Launched in 2025, this group explores the intersection between hydrogen and ammonia as a low-carbon fertilizer, clean fuel, and industrial feedstock. The group identifies gaps in developing a Midwestern distributed green ammonia economy and creating resources to help fill those gaps.
Past meetings
Presentations from the HEC meeting on Thursday, November 13, 2025
Brief HEC Member Updates
Louise Miltich, Executive Vice President, Great Plains Institute (GPI)
Louise provided an update on the Midwest Industrial Transformation Initiative (MITI). MITI is continuing its work of expanding production and hydrogen-based fuels, positioning the Midwest as a global leader in clean, competitive supply-chain innovation.
Lindsay Cooper, Senior Gulf Coast Regional Manager, Clean Air Task Force
Lindsay shared that over $33 billion in low-emissions hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol investments have been announced since 2018—representing roughly 60% of all industrial project announcements in Louisiana. She provided some context around the Louisiana Clean Hydrogen Task Force, and shared that the Task Force recommends strengthening state leadership, accelerating economic development through hydrogen zones and workforce training, and modernizing regulation to support clean hydrogen production and offtake.
Bill Leighty, Director of the Leighty Foundation and Principal of Alaska Applied Sciences
Bill outlined a vision for large-scale, zero-carbon hydrogen systems built on a synergistic clean power source. His presentation emphasized “hydrogen anywhere”—using deep hot-dry-rock geothermal to produce GHG-free fuels for global markets.
Mike Fogarty, Senior Project Manager, CenterPoint Energy
Mike described how CenterPoint’s Minneapolis pilot has safely blended low-concentration hydrogen into the local gas system since 2022. He also shared how CenterPoint is advancing new projects, such as a Mankato solar-powered hydrogen blending site, and incentives to support customer-owned green hydrogen projects. View this link for more information on CenterPoint’s Green Hydrogen and Carbon Capture Pilot programs.
Download presentationPresentations from the HEC meeting on Thursday, September 11, 2025
5 Lakes Energy
Maxim Kostylev, Senior Consultant, 5 Lakes Energy
Maxim shared how clean hydrogen could help decarbonize key sectors such as agriculture, iron and steel production, aviation fuels, and high-temperature industrial processes. It highlighted opportunities for hydrogen adoption, barriers such as cost and permitting challenges, and the importance of community engagement and workforce development in ensuring hydrogen projects bring economic and environmental benefits to Minnesota.
Download presentationCommercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative
Steve Csonka, Executive Director, Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI)
Steve provided an overview of the current state and future outlook for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). He highlighted SAF’s critical role in aviation decarbonization, the importance of hydrogen in SAF production, ongoing technical and policy developments, and the industry’s progress toward the US goal of 3 billion gallons per year of domestic production by 2030.
Download presentationPresentations from the HEC meeting on Thursday, May 8, 2025
CF Industries
Bob O’Leary, Senior Ammonia Product Manager, and Erik Mayer, VP of Clean Energy Solutions at CF Industries
Presented the company’s strategy to decarbonize ammonia production and expand low-carbon hydrogen solutions. They highlighted notable projects such as the Donaldsonville blue ammonia facility and the Blue Point project in Louisiana, which are designed to capture 90% of CO2 emissions. The presentation emphasized CF Industries’ efforts to leverage existing infrastructure, develop new partnerships, and meet emerging demand across sectors such as agriculture, fuel, and maritime shipping.
ASCENT
Dr. Michael Wolcott, Director of ASCENT and Regents Professor of Washington State University
Dr. Wolcott provided an overview of ASCENT’s sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) research agenda, which targets the decarbonization of long-haul aviation through biomass-based and power-to-liquid fuel pathways. He discussed projects focused on lifecycle greenhouse gas analysis, global supply chain modeling, and fuel testing and certification needed to enable broader SAF adoption. The presentation also addressed infrastructure compatibility and the need for new standards to support higher blend limits of SAF in existing aviation systems.
Download presentationPresentations from the HEC meeting on Thursday, March 13, 2025
Midwest Industrial Transformation Initiative (MITI)
Rolf Weberg, Executive Director, University of Minnesota Duluth’s Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI)
Dr. Rolf Weberg discussed Minnesota’s potential to lead industrial decarbonization through green hydrogen and low-carbon steel production, leveraging the state’s natural resources and energy infrastructure. He highlighted Minnesota’s resources, workforce, and collaboration across sectors as key drivers for innovation and economic growth.
Download presentation
HEC member spotlight: Jack Kluempke
This edition’s member spotlight shines on Jack Kluempke, Emerging Energy Technologies (EET) Supervisor within the Minnesota State Energy Office at the Department of Commerce. Jack’s work centers on understanding the viability and broader system impacts of technologies like hydrogen. His team plays a unique role in Minnesota’s clean energy transition, taking an agnostic, research-based approach to synthesize energy data and inform decision makers without pushing specific outcomes. Hydrogen has become a particular focus due to its potential for long-duration energy storage and decarbonizing sectors like aviation, fertilizer, and steel.
Jack and his team are currently assessing whether hydrogen can viably serve these sectors while balancing overall supply, infrastructure needs, and cross-sector dependencies. In addition to supporting informed decision-making, the EET team works to connect disparate efforts across the hydrogen landscape, ensuring collaboration, avoiding duplication, and evaluating the collective implications. The aim is to lay a data-driven foundation for just and effective hydrogen deployment across Minnesota. One key resource his department maintains is the Minnesota Energy Data Dashboard, a frequently updated hub for energy data and reports used by policymakers and researchers alike.
What keeps Jack grounded in this complex and rapidly evolving field is both deeply personal and practical. As a father and grandfather who has witnessed the impact of climate change while backpacking, he’s motivated by a desire to leave a better world for future generations. At the same time, with a background in finance, he knows meaningful progress must also be economically sound. His advice to others entering the hydrogen space? Be patient, be creative, and be ready to adapt—this is a long game, but one full of promise for those willing to engage with optimism and grit.