U.S. Department of Energy Announces GUIDE-H2 Competition

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) today announced the launch of the Guiding Universal Indicators in Developing Ecosystems for Hydrogen (GUIDE-H2) competition. 

GUIDE-H2 aims to address a key challenge facing many commercial-scale hydrogen projects: delays or cancellations due to the lack of tools, training, and local support in assessing and optimizing deployments for maximum positive impact. Deployments often do not systematically consider issues such as local water use, infrastructure impacts, jobs, the full cycle from production through end use, or other factors that can result in project delays or stoppage. Consistent, universally understandable indicators that can help guide deployments and accelerate progress while enabling long term sustainability can provide significant value.

GUIDE-H2 can increase practitioner experience in developing and applying robust analytic methods to systematically assess the benefits and impacts of hydrogen deployment projects. As a result, it can incentivize sharing of best practices, enable transparency and optimization, and enhance the economic, social, and environmental benefits of hydrogen deployments—contributing to increased likelihood of project success. Outcomes can be used in hydrogen workforce development efforts, particularly based on experiential technical training and education.

Up to $200,000 is available from HFTO in awards to competing teams for two phases. Phase I teams (up to six winners planned at $10,000 each) will submit reports summarizing an approach and methodology to comprehensively assess a commercial-scale hydrogen deployment project. Phase I winners will be allowed to compete in Phase II, where they will apply the proposed approach and develop a full project assessment, resulting in training tools, lessons learned and best-practice guidance to inform future assessments (three winners planned at $20,000, $40,000, and $80,000).

Diverse stakeholders including project developers, end users, communities, and investors will benefit from the hands-on application of assessment tools and resulting guidance and best practices through the GUIDE-H2 competition. This initiative also supports deliverables under the Hydrogen Interagency Task Force in support of the U.S. National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap.

In addition, GUIDE-H2 supports the H2 Twin Cities program, launched by the Clean Energy Ministerial’s (CEM) Hydrogen Initiative and will serve as a pilot that could be further developed and shared through CEM and other international partners. Results will be shared with H2 Twin Cities winners—and globally—to help build strong ties and a community of practice for leaders and implementers from diverse regions, industry, government, and other stakeholders to accelerate successful hydrogen deployments and user acceptance.

The deadline for Phase 1 submissions is June 30, 2025. Learn more about this competition.