General

Hydrogen demand is likely to skyrocket in the next few decades—if permitting delays and other setbacks don’t stymie it, according to WSJ Pro (subscription).

What’s going on: “A new report from consulting firm McKinsey forecasts a fivefold rise in hydrogen demand to 600 million metric tons a year by 2050, if climate change is limited to 1.5 degree Celsius. On current trajectories, however, that supply could be between 175 million to 291 million metric tons a year if steps aren’t taken to speed up permitting and lower both equipment and investment costs, the report warned.”

• The report identified three major challenges to meeting the rising demand: increased costs, a slow permitting process and “lack of access to capital,” which can be attributed largely to higher interest rates.

Incentives abound: Government incentives for hydrogen are on the rise. Up to $300 billion has been made available worldwide for hydrogen-energy projects this year, a sixfold increase from 2021.

• Last week, the Energy Department announced $7 billion in subsidies to create seven clean-hydrogen “hubs” in the U.S.

More support required: More action from government is still needed—particularly when it comes to allowing hydrogen projects to proceed.

• “Faster permitting times are needed to bring more hydrogen projects online, as well as the renewable energy to power their electrolyzers, industry experts say. A recent report from the International Energy Agency said current project lead times are too long and can act as a barrier to clean hydrogen uptake.”

What we’re doing: Manufacturers have long been urging policymakers to fix the broken U.S. permitting system.

• The NAM recently laid out a multistep plan for Congress “to modernize and update our nation’s antiquated permitting system.”