With Hydrogen, the Midwest Can Propel the Energy Transition; The Midwest has all the ingredients to be a leader in the emerging hydrogen economy and private investment is beginning to recognize the potential in the region. But there's more work to be done

And many of those technologies developed in the Midwest are already being deployed. The region has some of the highest wind, solar and carbon-free nuclear generation in the nation. Illinois, for instance, has the most nuclear capacity of any other state with 11 nuclear reactors, which account for more than half of its electricity generation. These carbon-free technologies combined with abundant water supplies from the Great Lakes are the major resources required to produce hydrogen, making the region an ideal production, distribution, and storage center for this technology that can help decarbonize the transportation, industrial, and power generation sectors. Last month, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm launched the Department of Energy’s “Energy Earthshots” Initiative, to accelerate breakthroughs of more abundant, affordable, and reliable clean energy solutions within the decade. The first Energy Earthshot—Hydrogen Shot—seeks to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen by 80% to $1 per kilogram (note: a kilogram of hydrogen contains about the same energy as a gallon of gasoline).