Press Releases

Today, Congresswomen Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) announced that they secured flexibility for Washington’s hydrogen projects that will help ensure the state remains a leader in clean energy production.

In 2024, the Biden administration proposed overly prescriptive regulations around the Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit (45V Credit) that could have resulted in the loss of half of Hydrogen Hub projects across the country, including in Washington. The final regulations released today made changes that DelBene, Schrier, and others called for in November and will now provide projects based in Washington with more flexibility by taking into account our state’s existing clean energy standards.

“The hydrogen tax credit that I authored in the Inflation Reduction Act is meant to support the growth and sustainability of this nascent industry. The Pacific Northwest and other regions were selected as Hydrogen Hubs to help grow this critical energy source but the initial regulations posed a risk to the viability of these projects,” said DelBene. “I am glad the administration incorporated our feedback. The changes we secured in the final tax credit regulations will ensure that Congress’ intent is followed and these projects continue moving forward, creating good-paying jobs and clean energy to power our economy.”

“Hydrogen producers in the region are eager to benefit from significant public investment in order to accelerate a clean hydrogen economy, create clean energy jobs, and remain competitive on the global scale,” said Schrier. “The 45V tax credit is an important piece of the puzzle to accomplish that. States that have already made strong climate inroads should not be penalized and should be eligible for these tax credits. These tax credits will bring the region closer to developing the greenest hydrogen in the country. I’m so proud to lead this effort with Congresswoman DelBene and go to bat for cleaner energy and lower utility bills for my constituents.”

“We were pleased to see that the final 45V rule was updated to include many of the considerations the PNWH2 advocated for which will enable these projects to be completed and create these new energy jobs of the future,” said Chris Green, President, PNWH2. “While we continue to analyze the new rule we are confident that this will enable the H2 supply chain to move forward with much needed certainty. We're also grateful for the leadership of many in Congress, such as Rep. DelBene, to continually push for a balanced outcome from the U.S. Treasury on this issue.”

DelBene and Schrier, along with the Washington and Oregon congressional delegations, were instrumental in securing the designation of the Pacific Northwest (PNWH2) as one of seven clean hydrogen hubs established in the bipartisan infrastructure law. In July, the Biden administration announced that $27.5 million in initial federal investment of a total of $1 billion had been awarded to PNWH2.

More information about the administration’s announcement today can be found here.