Trump’s Hydrogen Cuts Put the US Further Behind China on Key Green Tech
China already produces 60% of the world’s electrolyzers, and it continues to provide policy support to bring down the costs of the clean fuel.
An electrolyzer stack used to make green hydrogen.
Photographer: Adam Glanzman/BloombergGreen hydrogen for making steel and powering ships is one of the few green technologies where China doesn’t yet have an insurmountable lead. But recent shifts in US policy on hydrogen will impede the country’s ability to compete with China and other rivals in this futuristic fuel source.
The US Department of Energy announced plans last week to cancel funding for two hydrogen hubs on the West Coast, which were allocated $2.2 billion under former President Joe Biden. The hubs were among a list of more than 220 clean energy projects that saw their funding axed amid the government shutdown.