Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) is highly engaged on policy relating to the development of hydrogen production and use. While generally supporting hydrogen production and use, the group consistently opposes policy which places eligibility criteria around hydrogen production and use, such as those included in those included in the Inflation Reduction Act, which would ensure that the growth of hydrogen advances the wider energy transition.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: FCHEA has limited top-line messaging on climate policy. The organization’s main website, accessed in July 2024, appears to support a national net-zero economy by 2050, advocating a “dramatic transformation of the way we produce and consume energy.” In a February 2022 press release, FCHEA’s President and CEO Frank Wolak broadly supported government-led financial incentives for clean energy without taking a position on other forms of government intervention to address climate change. FCHEA has not taken a public position on the Paris Agreement or broadly affirmed climate science.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: FCHEA has limited engagement with climate-related regulations. In an August 2023 comment to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), FCHEA appeared to preemptively oppose any attempts to regulate GHG emissions from hydrogen production under the Clean Air Act. In a February 2023 comment to the EPA, the group advocated for an expansion of renewable natural gas production pathways in the EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard Program for 2023-2025.
Positioning on Energy Transition: FCHEA’s advocacy surrounding the energy transition is mostly negative. On its website, the organization positively advocates for the use of hydrogen made from renewables or natural gas with CCS for use in heavy-duty transport, steel and concrete production, and for renewable energy storage. However, the group does not advocate for a broader increase in renewable energy or the need to phase out fossil fuels alongside the adoption of hydrogen in hard-to-abate sectors.
FCHEA also consistently opposes strict guidelines for clean hydrogen. While the group generally supported the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) on its website, accessed in July 2024, FCHEA opposed strict implementation of the IRA’s Section 45V hydrogen production tax credit in an April 2024 LinkedIn post and in March 2023 public testimony by the President and CEO, Frank Wolak. In February 2024 comments to the IRS on the credit, the organization opposed strict requirements for energy used in hydrogen production, advocated for a weakening of the proposed GHG accounting methodology, and advocated for flexibility in the use of renewable natural gas and low-carbon natural gas. In August 2023 letter to the EPA, FCHEA advocated for a weaker emissions standard for hydrogen used in the hydrogen co-firing pathway of the EPA’s proposed power plant rules. FCHEA similarly opposed strict requirements for hydrogen in the DOE’s Clean Hydrogen Production Standard in November 2022 comments.
InfluenceMap collects and assesses evidence of corporate climate policy engagement on a weekly basis, depending on the availability of information from each specific data source (for more information see our methodology). While this analysis flows through to the company’s scores each week, the summary above is updated periodically. This summary was last updated in Q3 2024.