Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Additional Clean Hydrogen Programs (Section 40314): Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) | DE FOA 0002779

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002779

The Department of Energy (DOE), through its Golden Field Office, released Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0002779 under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act). The opportunity provides major federal support for creating Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (often called H2Hubs). These hubs are meant to function as full hydrogen ecosystems within a region, showing how clean hydrogen can be produced, processed, transported, stored, and ultimately used at meaningful scale. The larger policy purpose is to help drive down emissions across hard-to-decarbonize parts of the economy and to support national targets tied to a carbon-free power grid by 2035 and an overall net-zero economy by 2050.

At the program level, DOE describes this as an $8 billion initiative to stand up a national network of hydrogen hubs. The hubs are expected to demonstrate that clean hydrogen can be produced at low carbon intensity and integrated into real markets in ways that are economically workable, not just technically feasible. A central theme is matching supply growth with regional demand growth so that hubs become commercially viable energy systems rather than isolated projects. DOE also frames the hubs as a catalyst for faster deployment of clean hydrogen technologies, larger private-sector investment, and increased U.S. manufacturing across hydrogen-related equipment and infrastructure.

This FOA is grounded in Section 40314 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58), which amended the Energy Policy Act of 2005 by adding a new Section 813 establishing the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program. Under that authority, the Secretary of Energy is directed to select at least four regional clean hydrogen hubs based on criteria set out in the statute. Those criteria emphasize diversity and broad national benefit, including feedstock diversity (different primary energy sources or inputs used to make hydrogen), end-use diversity (different consumption sectors such as industry, power, transportation, buildings, or other applications), geographic diversity (hubs spread across different parts of the country), and inclusion of hubs in natural gas-producing regions. The statute also highlights employment impacts and allows DOE to apply additional selection criteria as needed. The codified reference is 42 U.S.C. 16161a.

Project concepts under this FOA are expected to be partnership-driven and regionally grounded. DOE anticipates that each hub will include numerous partners spanning the hydrogen value chain, such as producers, infrastructure owners/operators (pipelines, storage, delivery logistics), off-takers and end users, technology providers, and other regional stakeholders. A strong application would typically show a balanced approach where hydrogen supply, infrastructure buildout, and end-use demand are developed together, rather than assuming demand will appear later. Another key expectation is a credible plan for long-term financial viability after DOE funding ends, meaning the hub should have a pathway to sustained operations supported by market revenues, contracted off-take, or other durable financing structures.

Community and stakeholder engagement is also explicitly called out. DOE indicates the hubs should include substantial engagement with Tribes as well as local and regional stakeholders so the benefits are not only national (emissions reductions, industrial competitiveness), but also local and regional (jobs, economic development, and other community outcomes). In practice, that implies applicants need to think beyond engineering and include meaningful governance, engagement processes, and benefit-sharing approaches consistent with the hub's regional footprint.

In terms of award mechanics, the FOA is a discretionary funding opportunity using cooperative agreements, which typically means DOE will have substantial involvement during performance (for example, through technical oversight, milestones, and go/no-go decisions). The activity category is energy, the CFDA number listed is 81.255, and eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications contained in the full FOA text. DOE projected up to 10 awards, with an award ceiling of $1.25 billion per award. The FOA record shows a creation date of September 22, 2022, and an original closing date of April 7, 2023.

Overall, this grant opportunity is designed to move clean hydrogen from pilot-scale demonstrations to regionally integrated, market-connected systems that can be replicated and expanded nationally. DOE is signaling that successful hubs will combine multiple production pathways and multiple end uses, build the connective infrastructure that makes hydrogen practical at scale, and deliver clear economic and workforce benefits, all while demonstrating real emissions reductions and a credible plan to continue operating after federal support concludes.

• The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Additional Clean Hydrogen Programs (Section 40314): Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.255.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 22, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 07, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,250,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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