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 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 discuss and potentially address key challenges in hydrogen deployment across high-value end-use sectors. The HEC is national in scope, though its primary focus is on the Midwest.
This post will highlight the collaborative’s efforts going forward, a new working group announcement, and how to learn more and get involved.
New green ammonia work group announced
Over the past few years, the HEC has established work groups to drive deeper engagement, identify policy and technology gaps and needs, and establish ways to meet them. We’re excited to announce the launch of a green ammonia working group at the upcoming HEC meeting on March 13, 2025. The group will explore the intersection between hydrogen and ammonia as a low-carbon fertilizer, clean fuel, and industrial feedstock.
As the market opportunity for deploying green ammonia projects gains momentum in the upper Midwest, this work group will serve as a forum for stakeholders to discuss production methods, market opportunities, and policy frameworks needed to scale greater green ammonia adoption across high-value end-use sectors such as agriculture, aviation, and energy storage.
The HEC’s existing work groups include the following opportunities for members:
- 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.
Looking ahead to more collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and dialogue
The HEC is dedicated to expanding its reach, strengthening partnerships, and fostering dialogue to accelerate hydrogen’s role in achieving decarbonization goals. Effective hydrogen adoption requires not only technological advancements but also a focus on how hydrogen impacts people, industries, and local economies. The collaborative’s discussions are an opportunity for knowledge-sharing on all sectors of the hydrogen economy, as illustrated below, to advance low-carbon hydrogen adoption.
Exploring the hydrogen economy
Since 2022, the HEC has hosted a series of bi-monthly presentations and discussions featuring industry experts, policy makers, and researchers. These presentations covered production methods, hydrogen transportation options, end uses, policy development, community impact and equity, research and development, and general hydrogen education.
Looking ahead, we plan to expand our conversations in new topic areas and continue providing updates on state and federal funding opportunities, policies, and incentives.
Topics we plan to cover in 2025:
- Hydrogen transportation and infrastructure needs
- Hydrogen storage
- Additional high-value end uses such as maritime and aviation fuels, industrial feedstocks
- More in-depth coverage on green ammonia end uses
The following descriptions highlight the topics and discussions the collaborative has covered to date.
Hydrogen production and infrastructure development. Presentations have examined the evolving landscape of hydrogen production from green hydrogen and low-carbon ammonia to waste conversion technologies and the various production methods envisioned by the two Midwest regional hydrogen hubs. The HEC has also explored the infrastructure needed to transport hydrogen safely and efficiently and developed a hydrogen pipeline transportation brief.
End uses and market development. Hydrogen’s role in decarbonizing high-value end uses has been a central theme covered in HEC presentations. Experts have discussed hydrogen’s application in steel and iron production, green ammonia and urea synthesis, and back-up power generation. These presentations and discussions have helped participants understand the economic potential, market drivers, and technical challenges associated with scaling clean hydrogen demand.
Policy and regulatory landscape. Policy support is a key pillar for scaling hydrogen projects and driving market demand. Presentations and discussions have kept pace with emerging federal and state policy and regulatory frameworks, from Minnesota’s Natural Gas Innovation Act to the federal 45V tax credit. In addition, an expert from the Bipartisan Policy Center presented on broader hydrogen policy outlooks for 2025, and an expert from the Center for Strategic International Studies presented on hydrogen’s role in geopolitics. These presentations have helped participants understand the impact of government incentives on industry growth.
Community impact and equity. Several presenters discussed hydrogen’s role in a just energy transition, including the EFI Foundation and Pat Hufnagel Smith from Creative Links. Workforce development, community benefits plans and hydrogen hub community engagement strategies have been explored, along with tools such as GPI’s Decision Support Tool to help guide community engagement in project development.
Research and education. The HEC keeps up to date on the latest research, analysis, and innovation by covering topics such as advanced hydrogen production methods, ammonia production and deployment, hydrogen demand projects for hydrogen hubs, and REC tracking systems like M-RETs that enhance market transparency.
The presentations, followed by opportunities for Q&A and discussion, position the HEC as an educational platform that can drive collaboration, informed decision-making, and strategic action.
Looking to the year ahead, we will both build on the insights gained through these presentations to support a clean hydrogen economy and address knowledge gaps through additional topical presentations.
Get involved with the Hydrogen Economy Collaborative
Interested in joining the conversation? The HEC is an open forum for stakeholders in the hydrogen space to engage in meaningful discussions about hydrogen’s role in the clean energy transition.
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.
Whether you’re a researcher, policy maker, or industry leader, we welcome you to join us as we continue exploring the opportunities and challenges related to hydrogen’s role in the clean energy transition.
Stay connected for upcoming HEC meetings and newsletters, working group meetings, and opportunities to contribute to this collaboration. For more information or to get involved, visit the HEC web page or contact us at [email protected].