Comparative Analysis of Green Hydrogen Policy Mixes of the EU and the US

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Abstract

Sustainable energy transition is the need of the hour, more so, because of the accelerated effects of climate change. This necessitates rapid, continuous, and persuasive political and technological approaches to enable an ecosystem of green alternatives for countries to support their net-zero ambitions. One such emerging technology approach is green hydrogen, which is hydrogen produced from renewable sources. Green hydrogen is considered as a versatile energy carrier to support transitioning of industries, energy systems and transport, towards sustainability. As such, globally, many countries have increasingly considered green hydrogen as a part of their decarbonisation plans. Today, at least 26 countries have adopted hydrogen policy strategies and supporting policy instruments. However, mere adoption is not enough – a test of policy effectiveness is required to evaluate whether policies will be executed in keeping with their stated objectives, whether the various policy instruments/tools introduced to support overall strategies will be collaborative or may conflict with one another, and whether the policies will address issues systematically or ad hoc. It becomes important to understand whether policy strategies and instruments, the underlying processes, and their characteristics - collectively called a policy mix- could actually support policy goals, objectives, and ambitions of various countries.