The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced increased collaboration with stakeholders to reduce regulatory barriers on the development of hydrogen infrastructure.
Daniel Simmons – principal deputy assistant secretary of energy efficiency and renewable energy – has issued a new request for information (RFI), through which the DOE hopes to identify priority research and development areas to reduce the regulatory barriers affecting the implementation of hydrogen technologies, as well as potential courses of action to reduce deployment time and cost.
“DOE will continue to engage with stakeholders on the regulatory reform process and work to achieve the president’s goals to reduce burdens on American families and businesses,” says Simmons. “As DOE identifies ways to streamline regulations associated with hydrogen infrastructure to complement our early-stage R&D, the department will provide more opportunities for stakeholder participation, consistent with DOE’s commitment to an open, transparent and accountable process.”
The goals of the RFI – in the context of developing and using hydrogen as an energy carrier across sectors and for diverse applications – are as follows, according to the DOE:
- Understand the effects of regulations imposed on the industry, particularly the parts of the industry responsible for hydrogen infrastructure;
- Identify federal regulations, codes, and state/local laws and identify the related compliance costs; and
- Recommend actions to reduce the burdens of regulatory requirements.
Based on the input received through the RFI, the DOE will look to provide feedback to relevant agencies with regulatory authority. The comment period for the RFI will close at 5:00 p.m. EST on Aug. 10.
