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Because of the increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, rising petroleum costs, and a growing dependence on foreign sources of fossil fuels, hydrogen-based technologies are beginning to offer important alternatives for generating energy in the United States. To help realize the benefits offered by a hydrogen economy, United States government agencies and industry are investing significant levels of funding for the research and development (R&D) needed to tackle the complex technical challenges related to hydrogen production, distribution, storage, energy-conversion, and end-use applications. To begin building a hydrogen economy, regions can act today to gain a share of these R&D dollars. Those regions that develop hydrogen-related R&D capabilities and build an industrial base of hydrogen-related companies will then be in a position to capitalize on the jobs and wealth that will be created as the hydrogen economy expands during the coming decades.
South Carolina is home to Savannah River National Laboratory, the University of South Carolina and Clemson Universities, which are all engaged in significant hydrogen-related R&D activities. To capitalize on these capabilities, a wide range of stakeholders in the state are beginning to work together on large-scale economic development initiatives to promote the growth of a hydrogen economy in South Carolina.
To support these initiatives, Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) interviewed more than 75 academic, national lab and industry leaders in the state to produce a report on South Carolina’s Hydrogen Economy. The report provides an overview on the state’s capabilities and the opportunities to leverage those capabilities. The report also identifies five specific steps that South Carolina should aggressively take within the next 24-36 months in order to ensure that it will be competitive in pursuing hydrogen economy opportunities.
Download the report.
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