The U.S. House recently passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”—more than 1,000 pages of midnight negotiations and caffeine-fueled compromises now sit on the Senate’s doorstep. Buried within those pages is a decision that could make or break America’s next energy boom.
While the spotlight remains on wind farms and electric vehicle subsidies, a quieter but potentially catastrophic move is slipping by unnoticed. The House bill guts the 45V clean hydrogen tax incentive. If this short-sighted policy becomes law, future generations will wonder what we thought we were doing.
Hydrogen isn’t some pie-in-the-sky “green new scam.” It already commands a $150 billion global market — one that’s about to explode. America is positioned to lead, but only if we don’t fumble the ball at the goal line.
Take Utah, where this story gets really interesting. The Beehive State isn’t watching the hydrogen revolution from the sidelines — it’s racing to become a major player. The Intermountain Power Project is transitioning from coal to natural gas and preparing for hydrogen integration.
Meanwhile, Utah’s vast salt caverns offer some of the best underground hydrogen storage potential in the country. Companies such as Chevron and Mitsubishi are already eyeing Utah for large-scale hydrogen projects that could create thousands of high-paying jobs — while balancing responsible water use.
But without the 45V incentive, many of these innovative, early-stage technology projects will become economically unviable overnight. It’s like discovering oil, then deciding not to drill.
The 45V tax credit provides a critical 10-year runway for domestic hydrogen production to reach commercial scale. Bloomberg projects the industry could grow thirtyfold by 2030, positioning the U.S. to capture 37% of global demand. That’s not just market share — that’s energy dominance in an era when energy security is national security.
Blue hydrogen — produced from natural gas with carbon capture — showcases where America’s competitive advantage really shines. We already lead the world in natural gas production, and we have the technology to make hydrogen cleaner and cheaper than anywhere else. This isn’t about replacing fossil fuels; it’s about making them work smarter while building the infrastructure for tomorrow’s economy.
Utah gets it. While coal remains a foundational energy source, state leaders are looking forward. Utah has welcomed hydrogen companies with a combination of geological advantages and pro-business policies. The Wasatch Front’s industrial corridor is perfectly situated to become a hydrogen hub, connecting production facilities to major transportation networks. Utah’s Strategic Energy Plan specifically names hydrogen as a key component of the state’s energy diversification strategy.
But policy uncertainty kills investment faster than anything. When the House voted to eliminate the 45V incentive, it sent a chilling message to companies preparing to break ground on billion-dollar projects. Some have already put their plans on hold, waiting to see whether the Senate will restore the incentive — or whether they should start shopping for friendlier jurisdictions, perhaps in Canada or Europe, where hydrogen subsidies are expanding instead of contracting.
The irony is thick.
Republican senators now stand poised to kill an incentive that could supercharge red-state economies. Louisiana, Texas, Wyoming, and Utah all stand to benefit massively from hydrogen development. These aren’t coastal elite pet projects — they’re industrial jobs in industrial states, using American natural gas to power American manufacturing.
Meanwhile, China is investing $17 billion in hydrogen technology, and the EU has announced a €470 billion hydrogen strategy. They’re not waiting for America to decide whether it wants to compete.
Yes, hydrogen faces challenges — high production costs, infrastructure gaps, and market uncertainty. But that’s exactly why smart policy matters. The 45V incentive doesn’t pick winners and losers; it gives American industry a fighting chance in a race that’s already underway.
As the U.S. Senate takes up this bill, lawmakers must remember: energy leadership isn’t about ideology — it’s about economics. And right now, America is threatening to voluntarily surrender a commanding position in the next energy revolution.
The question isn’t whether hydrogen will happen. It’s whether it will happen here, creating American jobs and strengthening American energy security —or whether we’ll end up buying it from countries smart enough to invest when it mattered.
Utah stands ready. The question is: will Washington get out of the way?