Top 10 US Green Hydrogen Projects for 2025 and beyond

The United States (US) is committed to decarbonising its power sector by 2035, reducing its carbon emissions by 50-52% of the 2005 level and reaching net zero emissions by 2050. No small task for the world's second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

Green hydrogen—produced using renewable energy sources and offering a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels— is a key strategy for redefining the US energy landscape. 

Before we deep-dive into hydrogen, let's quickly review the elements behind the energy transition in the US.

US power industry

Power sector emissions have been on a downward trend for more than a decade, with a 36% decrease compared to 2007 levels. But how much CO2 does the U.S. power sector emit? In 2021, the electric power sector in the US emitted an estimated 1,551 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.

Despite the record-breaking deployment of renewable sources in the past decade, fossil fuels still accounted for over 60% of electricity generation in 2021, with natural gas taking the lead. Renewable capacity has grown exponentially this century, with wind and solar accounting for the largest share of capacity additions in 2021 (90%).

Why is it so important to decarbonise the electricity sector? 

The power sector is responsible for about 25% of carbon dioxide emissions in the US, second only to transportation. Even though there have been improvements in alternative fuels and technologies, there is a consensus that using electricity will be crucial for reducing carbon emissions in both road transportation and industry.

In turn, electricity demand in the US is expected to grow 30% by 2050, surpassing 5,000 terawatt-hours. As such, cleaning up the power sector will be a defining factor in US climate action.

Green hydrogen: a pathway to net zero in the USA

In recent years, most of the investments dedicated to the energy transition have gone towards solar, wind, energy storage, and electric vehicles globally. However, Green hydrogen has emerged as a vital component in the U.S. strategy to achieve net-zero emissions. 

Hydrogen as a fuel offers great potential to decarbonise various industries and hard-to-abate sectors, replacing fossil fuels in processes such as refining, iron, steel, chemicals, and transport.

Since rejoining the Paris Agreement and launching Energy Earthshot—which aims to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen by 80% to $1 per 1kg in one decade—the country has been fostering innovation and addressing technological and economic challenges.

Currently, there are 67 green hydrogen projects planned in the U.S. for the next 5 years, with a total investment of $26bn. States like Texas, Louisiana, California and Wyoming are leading in green hydrogen development, reflecting a nationwide commitment to this clean energy source. 

Want to understand the American Energy Transition? Download our whitepaper and get in touch!

5 Green Hydrogen projects starting in 2025

Several significant green hydrogen projects are set to begin operations in 2025, marking a substantial advancement in the U.S. clean energy landscape. Uncover the 5 clean hydrogen plants in the construction stage, which will start operation by the end of 2025.

1. St. Gabriel Green Hydrogen Plant
2. Sauk Valley Green Hydrogen Plant
3. Kingsland Green Hydrogen Plant
4. Casa Grande Green Hydrogen Plant
5. Donaldsonville Green Hydrogen Project

1. St. Gabriel Green Hydrogen Plant

• Location: Louisiana
• Details: A joint venture between Plug Power Inc. and Olin Corporation, known as Hidrogenii. The plant will produce 15 tons of green hydrogen daily for the fuel cell market. Olin will handle operational support, while Plug Power will market the hydrogen. Construction will create 215 jobs, with over 25 permanent positions upon completion. By the end of 2025, Plug expects to produce 500 tons/day of liquid green hydrogen, preventing 4.3 million metric tons of CO₂ emissions in North America.
• Operations Begin: 2025

2. Sauk Valley Green Hydrogen Plant

• Location: Illinois
• Details: The first green hydrogen project operated by Invenergy, this facility will produce green hydrogen using power from a co-located solar plant and Ohmium International's low-carbon electrolyzer technology. The plant will have a capacity of 52 tons per year and store 400 kg of hydrogen on-site.
• Operations begin: 2025

3. Kingsland Green Hydrogen Plan

• Location: Camden County, Georgia
• Details: Operated by Plug Power, this facility will produce 15 tons of green hydrogen daily, which will be liquefied, stored, and transported. The project is expected to create over 200 construction jobs.
• Operations begin: 2025

4. Casa Grande Green Hydrogen Plant

• Location: Casa Grande, Arizona
• Details: Owned and operated by Air Products, this plant will produce 10 metric tons of green hydrogen daily for the hydrogen mobility market in California and other locations. The facility will run entirely on zero-carbon renewable power and use ThyssenKrupp Nucera electrolyzers to produce gaseous hydrogen, converted to liquid hydrogen with proprietary technology.
• Operations begin: 2025

5. Donaldsonville Green Hydrogen Project

• Location: Donaldsonville, Louisiana
• Details: This project involves building a 20 MW alkaline water electrolysis plant integrated with CF Industries' ammonia synthesis loops to produce 20,000 tons of green ammonia annually. It will use renewable energy from grid-connected sources to supply 100% of the electricity needed for hydrogen production. This partnership with ThyssenKrupp will result in the largest facility of its kind in North America.
• Operations begin: 2025

5 Major Green Hydrogen Projects in the U.S.

1. Air Products and AES Corporation's Green Hydrogen Facility
2. Intermountain Power Project
3. Advanced Clean Energy Storage Project
4. Vallera Renewables Hydrogen Plant
5. The Wind-to-Hydrogen Project

1. Air Products and AES Corporation's Green Hydrogen Facility

• Location: Texas
• Details: A $4 billion green hydrogen production facility designed to produce over 200 metric tons of hydrogen daily, primarily for transportation. This mega-scale renewable power to hydrogen project includes approximately 1.4 gigawatts (GW) of wind and solar power generation, along with electrolyzer capacity, making it the largest green hydrogen facility in the United States. The project would create more than 1,300 construction and 115 permanent operations jobs, as well as about 200 transportation and distribution jobs.
• Operations Begin: 2027

2. Intermountain Power Project

• Location: Utah
• Details:  The Intermountain Power Project has partnered with Mitsubishi Power on a coal-fired power plant conversion to a natural gas and hydrogen-fired facility. It aims to operate on a 30% hydrogen blend by 2025, progressing to 100% hydrogen by 2045. The Intermountain Power Project has partnered with Mitsubishi Power.
• Operations begin in 2025 and progress to 100% hydrogen by 2045.
  
  

3. Advanced Clean Energy Storage Project

• Location: Delta, Utah
• Details: One of the largest green hydrogen production and storage facilities in the world, capable of producing up to 100 metric tons of green hydrogen daily. Hydrogen will be stored in underground salt caverns for power generation, industrial applications, and transportation. It is the first project to combine utility and industrial-scale renewable hydrogen production, storage, and transmission.
• Operations begin in 2025 and expand to 100% green hydrogen by 2045.

4. Vallera Renewables Hydrogen Plant

• Location: Nevada
• Details: This project is centered around a state-of-the-art electrolyzer facility, producing 80 metric tons of green hydrogen daily. It will serve industrial applications and heavy transportation sectors, with a focus on supporting Nevada’s green energy framework.
• Operations begin: 2025
  
  

5. The Wind-to-Hydrogen Project

• Location: Oklahoma
• Details: Harnessing Oklahoma's significant wind resources, this project integrates wind power with hydrogen production to deliver 70 metric tons of green hydrogen daily. Hydrogen will be liquefied and distributed for transportation and industrial applications, reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
• Operations begin: 2026

Challenges in North America’s Hydrogen Economy

North America has the potential to lead the global hydrogen economy, with projections estimating the market could exceed $140 billion annually by 2030. 

As of 2022, there were 33 operational green hydrogen facilities in the region, providing a total capacity of 691 thousand tons per annum (MTPA). Currently, the United States produces around 10 million metric tons (MMT) of hydrogen each year, primarily for petroleum refining and ammonia production.

Despite the significant potential for decarbonizing energy consumption, challenges such as high production costs, inadequate infrastructure, and the need for demand incentives hinder progress. Scaling up hydrogen production is a key strategy for reducing costs.

Improvements in electricity prices and electrolyzer efficiency, along with extended operational lifetimes, are essential for lowering expenses associated with both blue and green hydrogen projects. These advancements will enable a shift from pilot projects to commercial-scale ventures, supporting net-zero targets.

Many companies are investing in innovation and technology to capitalize on North America’s hydrogen economy. Businesses across various sectors must adapt operations to achieve carbon neutrality, with green hydrogen as a strategic ally in this transition.

Jobs in demand

The Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that the hydrogen value chain will create 700,000 new jobs by 2030 and 3.4 million jobs by 2050. The American Energy Transition: Reshaping the Economy and Creating Good Jobs whitepaper highlights a job-rich and clean future. Read our whitepaper to understand how the energy revolution is poised to reshape the job market.

Airswift is a world-leading renewable energy recruitment agency partnering with companies in the hydrogen sector. See below some of the roles and skillsets in demand.

• Business Development Manager
• Project Development Manager
• Hydrogen Expert
• Solution Expert
• Process Engineer
• Project Manager
• Commercial Director
• Sales Director
• Electrolysis Specialist
• Product Manager
• Senior Engineer

Looking for your next role in the clean tech industry, please contact us.

How can Airswift help companies build a talent pipeline to reach net zero in the USA? 

Airswift is committed to supporting the energy transition by investing and training a team focused on green skills. With more than 40 years of experience and 60 regional offices worldwide, we support clients throughout the entire project lifecycle.

We help companies develop a robust workforce plan to identify, attract, and retain the best green tech talent with our strong database of 1.5 million STEM professionals. This means our clients can tap into the best available local talent pools where their operations are.

After establishing Airswift as the best staffing agency in Houston, we have since expanded our American footprint. Today, we support strategic clients and projects from our offices in Houston, Denver, Midland and Anchorage.

If you are a professional looking for your next role or a hiring manager seeking new workers for your company, get in touch! 

Want to know more about Green Hydrogen? Read also:

Green hydrogen: a key to meeting net-zero by 2050
Australian hydrogen strategy, workforce and projects starting in 2023