Hydrogen Fuel Initiative
DOE has supported research and development of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies as part of a portfolio of renewable and energy-efficient technologies that can lower America's dependence on imported oil and reduce the environmental impacts of fossil fuel combustion.
Beginning in fiscal year 2004, the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative (HFI) increased federal funding for hydrogen and fuel cell research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) to $1.2 billion over five years. With this increase in funding, the HFI accelerated the pace of RD&D efforts focused on achieving specific targets that would enable hydrogen and fuel cell technology readiness in the 2015 timeframe. In support of the HFI, the DOE Hydrogen Program assumed its current form with the integration of a number of existing activities into a coordinated, department-wide effort involving the DOE Offices of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Fossil Energy (FE), Nuclear Energy (NE), and Science (SC). Increased funding levels have allowed the Program to expand and diversify its efforts to overcome the broad range of barriers facing the widespread use of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies for transportation and stationary power generation.