The infrastructure needed for distributing hydrogen to the nationwide network of fueling stations required for the widespread use of fuel cell electric vehicles still needs to be developed. Most hydrogen used in the United States is produced at or close to where it is used-typically at large industrial sites. Learn more about hydrogen production from the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office. Government and industry research and development projects are reducing the cost as well as the environmental impacts of hydrogen production technologies. The primary challenge for hydrogen production is reducing the cost of production technologies to make the resulting hydrogen cost competitive with conventional transportation fuels. Today, almost all the hydrogen produced in the United States is used for refining petroleum, treating metals, producing fertilizer, and processing foods. The major hydrogen-producing states are California, Louisiana, and Texas. Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting: Photoelectrochemical systems produce hydrogen from water using special semiconductors and energy from sunlight. Photobiological Water Splitting: Microbes, such as green algae, consume water in the presence of sunlight and produce hydrogen as a byproduct. High-Temperature Water Splitting: High temperatures generated by solar concentrators or nuclear reactors drive chemical reactions that split water to produce hydrogen. Several hydrogen production methods are in development: Renewable Liquid Reforming: Renewable liquid fuels, such as ethanol, are reacted with high-temperature steam to produce hydrogen near the point of end use.ДЇermentation: Biomass is converted into sugar-rich feedstocks that can be fermented to produce hydrogen. Power-to-hydrogen projects are taking off, using excess renewable electricity, when available, to make hydrogen through electrolysis. If the electricity is produced by renewable sources, such as solar or wind, the resulting hydrogen will be considered renewable as well, and has numerous emissions benefits. The resulting synthesis gas contains hydrogen and carbon monoxide, which is reacted with steam to separate the hydrogen.Д®lectrolysis: An electric current splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. This converts the coal or biomass into gaseous components-a process called gasification. Natural gas reforming using steam accounts for the majority of hydrogen produced in the United States annually.ДЄ synthesis gas can also be created by reacting coal or biomass with high-temperature steam and oxygen in a pressurized gasifier. This method is the cheapest, most efficient, and most common. The carbon monoxide is reacted with water to produce additional hydrogen.

Natural Gas Reforming/Gasification: Synthesis gas-a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and a small amount of carbon dioxide-is created by reacting natural gas with high-temperature steam. There are several ways to produce hydrogen: Several projects are underway to decrease costs associated with hydrogen production. The environmental impact and energy efficiency of hydrogen depends on how it is produced. Hydrogen can be produced from diverse, domestic resources, including fossil fuels, biomass, and water electrolysis with electricity.

Hydrogen fuel combines with oxygen from the air through a fuel cell, creating electricity and water through an electrochemical process.

Although abundant on earth as an element, hydrogen is almost always found as part of another compound, such as water (H 2O) or methane (CH 4), and it must be separated into pure hydrogen (H 2) for use in fuel cell electric vehicles.

Hydrogen element