Oklahoma requires 35 permits to develop hydrogen projects in the state, according to the National Petroleum Council.
A flow chart from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality illustrates the complexities of moving hydrogen projects forward in some jurisdictions, as noted in the NPC report.
In a chapter on policy, the NPC urges a handful of changes for enabling hydrogen development at the state level among 103 overall recommendations, noting that states need to inform themselves and develop expertise in order to take advantage of the hydrogen opportunity.
RECOMMENDATION 7: The NPC recommends that states initiate and develop technology-neutral LCI hydrogen roadmaps (if not already) to accelerate LCI hydrogen deployment that complements federal LCI hydrogen policies. States should also:
• Work together to develop regional strategies to support the development of hydrogen transportation corridors
• Conduct a gap analysis of laws and regulations and close key gaps to ensure LCI hydrogen investment is not limited
• Strive, along with local jurisdictions, strive to align and coordinate their siting and permitting requirements with federal requirements
RECOMMENDATION 8: The NPC recommends states should develop consistent regulations around safety standards, transportation refueling, and related topics; consistent definitions of LCI hydrogen that complement federal policy; and
consistent definitions and methodology for life cycle analysis.
RECOMMENDATION 9: The NPC recommends the administration work with U.S. regions/states either directly or via organizations, e.g., National Association of State Energy Officials or National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, to
encourage consistent regulatory frameworks that ensure the growth of the H2 market is not hindered.
RECOMMENDATION 10: The NPC recommends that states with “clean”-energy standards (CES) or renewable portfolio standards (RPS) include the full range of “clean”-energy technologies as eligible, including hydrogen-fueled systems. States that have or that are considering CES or RPS requirements/regulations consider a specific percentage of electricity sold comes from defined low carbon-energy or RPS, should include the full range of eligible low-carbon/”clean” energy technologies, including
hydrogen.
RECOMMENDATION 11: The NPC recommends that states consider LCI hydrogen incentives to supplement federal incentives as needed, and review and revise state strategies dependent upon Activation phase results.
RECOMMENDATION 12: The NPC recommends that states initiate a review of the hydrogen production and demand to determine the appropriate actions needed to verify that LCI hydrogen is effectively supporting national GHG emissions abatement goals while ensuring the responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Federal and state incentives have the potential to develop a robust hydrogen economy in the United States. As the economy develops, states should review its development to determine
whether existing incentives continue to be needed or if they should be sunset or refocused.
