Aligning California’s Hydrogen Research and Innovation Agenda: Workshop Proceedings

As California works toward its ambitious climate goals, hydrogen has been proposed as a solution for hard-to-decarbonize sectors and a potential part of a more resilient energy system. With billions of dollars pledged to support the development of a renewable hydrogen economy, a comprehensive assessment of the most critical unanswered research questions in this space is essential in charting a path forward while addressing the concerns of the many stakeholders involved in these discussions.

In November 2024, CCST convened a group of experts from a wide array of institutions—including academia, federal research laboratories, industry, government, labor unions, and nongovernmental organizations—for a workshop designed to identify the most pressing research gaps in the emerging hydrogen ecosystem. This document presents a summary of the proceedings of this workshop, including a summary of the workshop design, emerging themes that arose during brainstorming and discussion sessions, and a summary of the research proposals drafted by participants.