Washington, DC – Today, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, issued the below statement following the release of proposed rules by the U.S. Department of Treasury on the use of the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) 45V Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit. The proposal imposes onerous rules—which were not included in the IRA—that limit the ability of the credit to help develop a domestic hydrogen market. 

“This Administration cannot keep itself from violating the Inflation Reduction Act in their relentless pursuit of their radical climate agenda. Today’s proposed rules on the IRA’s hydrogen production tax credit will only make it more difficult to jumpstart the hydrogen market, which will be a critical part of our secure energy future. Make no mistake, obstructing hydrogen development in our country is the short-sighted goal of the far-left advocacy groups who lobbied the Administration for these restrictions because they oppose all energy sources other than solar and wind—and even the renewables industries have said these restrictions are a bad idea. For an Administration that wants to reduce emissions and fight climate change, it makes no sense to kneecap the hydrogen market before it can even begin. Hydrogen has the potential to be the new horsepower of our country and will strengthen our energy security so we are less dependent on foreign adversaries, and crucially, it can be produced carbon-free. Adding onerous new restrictions for the hydrogen tax credit is particularly hypocritical when this administration has bent, broken, and ignored the law again and again to make it easier to access electric vehicle tax credits. Today’s proposed rule doesn’t just violate the law — it makes absolutely no sense, and I will continue to fight this Administration’s manipulation of the IRA,” said Chairman Manchin.