For more than a decade, Millennium Reign Energy’s hydrogen fueling station has supported fuel cell research at The Ohio State University Automotive Research Center. (Energy of the Millennium Reign)
This story was originally published by Canary Media.
Two years ago, the Biden administration announced that $7 billions of dollars in financing a nationwide network of hydrogen hubs its aim was to launch the production of alternative fuel.
Now the Trump administration has cast doubt on the future of the program – including Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen CenterOr BOW2which includes projects in Ohio.
Despite the turmoil, industry leaders said they see a radiant future for hydrogen in Ohio.
“We build companies in this state regardless of federal funding,” Bill Whittenberger, executive director of the Ohio Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Coalition, said during the group’s conference 2025 symposium that took place in October this year. 27 AND 28 at the Honda Heritage Center in Marysville, Ohio. In his opinion, federal funds“makes everything happen a little faster, [but] everything we do here has a sturdy business case.”
Many people see hydrogen as necessary to decarbonize operations that are tough to electrify, such as steel AND glassmakingas well as some transport sectors.
However, few industries currently employ this fuel on a significant scale, and very little low-emission hydrogen is available.
The Biden administration’s center initiative was intended to change that by lowering the cost of low-carbon hydrogen, which can be produced using renewable energy, nuclear power or natural gas with carbon capture and storage.
The initiative initiated detailed planning of dozens of projects in core regions. In Ohio, proposals took many shapes: one developer wanted to employ solar energy for production hydrogen for buses in Stark Countyand another planned to obtain fuel from the waste stream of chemical plants. Still others wanted to expand their storage and fueling operations in central and northeastern Ohio.
The Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act also created a lucrative federal tax credit for pristine hydrogen projects, providing an incentive for effective lobbying preserved to the end 2027 with Republicans a powerful budget bill signed in July. But even with federal support, the nascent industry is on shaky ground. Some high-profile projects related to ecological hydrogen they have already floundered this year.
The Trump administration’s October cancellation of federal dollars for two of the nodes focusing on hydrogen sourced from renewable energy has raised urgent questions about the viability of many hydrogen ventures across the country.
The fate of the remaining five nodes remains uncertain. Last month, their names appeared on a leaked Department of Energy list along with a note to“end“, But DOE did not confirm their status.
Still, conference participants emphasized that progress is being made on some hydrogen projects in Ohio.
For example, there is a plan by Ohio-based American Electric Power to power data centers with fuel cells. This is part of a broader issue AEP partnership with Bloom Energy to acquire up to 1 gigawatts of fuel cells that will lend a hand giant computing infrastructures access the Internet faster.
““The speed to power trumps everything else,” said Amy Kościelak, senior business development leader for the company AEP.
Initially, however, systems were planned for central Ohio Amazon Data Services AND Cologix Johnstown will continue to work natural gas. At last, AEP he said they could switch to hydrogen power.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
Earlier this year, the Ohio Public Utilities Commission greenlit the plans AEPOhio utility to share system results only with those customers, although appeals are pending.
Hydrogen is also available in the vehicles of the American company Honda Motor Co. Although hybrid cars can employ it hydrogen or battery electricity are built in Marysville, most of them go to California.
Overall, battery-powered electric vehicles are probably the best option for:“low mobility,” said Gary Robinson, the company’s vice president of sustainability and business development. Indeed, hydrogen cars are here to stay niche at best. But“trucks, buses, industrial equipment — all of these things we think are perfect candidates for hydrogen,” Robinson said. The company is exploring shipping and aviation as other potential markets for fuel cells.
Ohio also has several projects aimed at using electrolysis, a process that uses electricity to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. If the current feeding the electrolysis is pristine, the hydrogen produced will also be pristine.
Dayton-based Millennium Reign Energy provided electrolyzer equipment to pre-fuel the fuel cell hybrids that Honda has been producing in Marysville since last year, and has also provided refueling equipment to other locations in the United States and abroad. The company plans to add two gas stations for its Emerald H2 network in the Dayton area until April, CEO Chris McWhinney told Canary Media.
Connect the power it also uses electrolyzers to produce hydrogen. The 28The first immense order of the long-standing company has returned 2007 involved fuel cells to power pallet trucks at a Walmart distribution center in Washington Court House, Ohio, said Mike Ahearn, vice president of North American services. He did not talk about the projects the company would implement BOW2if something moves, but he described working outside of Ohio.
Plug Power remains on track to begin construction next year of a wind-powered hydrogen plant that will be able to produce approx. 45 tons per day in Graham, Texas. “We’re on track,” Ahearn said, adding that the company’s goal is to turn a profit next year – something that he hasn’t done it yet for almost thirty years of its activity.
Hydrogen Independence, another one BOW2 design and development partner, focused on local hydrogen production and distribution. While federal funding remains uncertain, the company remains hopeful that it will be able to continue the project in Ohio as part of the center.
The company’s method of producing alternative fuel does not meet the standard“hydrogen rainbow”, which indicates whether production is based on renewable energy or fossil fuels.
Rather, the source would be the industrial waste stream from INEOS KO plant in Ashtabula, Ohio. The plant produces potassium hydroxide and other chemicals and releases a waste stream consisting almost entirely of hydrogen. Independence Hydrogen essentially“pristine” the gas by removing water and other contaminants and then compressing it for transport.
But“I need a supplier,” said William Lehner, the company’s chief strategy officer“We would love to do such a project.”
Indeed, most companies attending last week’s symposium would like to see more customers, but it’s unclear how quickly interest in alternative fuels will grow if federal funding for BOW2 and other hydrogen hubs remain in limbo if tax incentives are not further expanded.
The DOEIs“hydrogen shot”, launched in 2021whose goal was to increase the scale of clean hydrogen production and reduce its cost to $2,0001 per kilogram – approx 80% reduction – o 2031. While developers will continue to cover it at least half of the project costs at the hubs, federal subsidies would reduce overall spending and allow customers to be charged less for hydrogen. Lower prices were expected to stimulate demand.
The Trump administration’s actions to dismantle decarbonization policies also raise questions about the future of pristine hydrogen. Without the sticks that penalize greenhouse gas emissions and the carrots that make zero- and low-emission fuels cheaper, many projects face a tough road ahead.
