The H-Prize, enacted by Congress, authorized the Secretary of Energy to create a program to competitively award cash prizes that will advance the commercial application of hydrogen energy technologies by dramatizing and incentivizing accelerated research. The H-Prize was originally established by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, in Sec. 654.

There are several H-Prize categories, including production, storage, distribution, utilization, and prototypes and transformational technologies. The 2009-11 prize will be awarded in the area of storage materials in mobile systems for light-duty vehicles.

The H-Prize is managed by the Hydrogen, Fuel Cells & Infrastructure Technologies Program in the U.S. Department of Energy. DOE is the lead Federal agency for directing activities in hydrogen and fuel cell R&D, and the HFCIT Program is responsible for coordinating activities. It is designed to help the U.S. achieve a diverse, secure and emissions-free energy future by improving efficiency, reducing oil imports and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Hydrogen Education Foundation, H-Prize administrator, promotes clean hydrogen energy technologies through student scholarships, innovative national competitions, and educational programs to encourage environmental stewardship, improve energy security, and create green jobs. The HEF objectives are to:

• create a pilot award process
• organize and manage a comprehensive fund raising program to leverage Federal funding
• deploy H-Prize funds through fair and open competition
• focus on critical technical challenges