Substitute House Bill No. 6851, known as Public Act No. 23-156, is an act that mandates the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to develop and approve a hydrogen strategic plan by December 31, 2024. This plan is aimed at expanding the state's hydrogen economy in alignment with existing greenhouse gas reduction goals and energy strategies. It specifically focuses on encouraging the use of hydrogen produced from renewable energy and prioritizes its application in sectors such as aviation, maritime shipping, ferry transportation, heavy-duty trucking, and high-temperature industrial processes. The plan will also compare the costs of using hydrogen from renewable sources versus fossil fuels in these sectors.

The bill also amends Section 31-53d of the general statutes, effective July 1, 2023, by redefining "covered project" to include hydrogen projects with a total nameplate capacity of two megawatts or more that are situated on land in the state, or, starting January 1, 2025, any hydrogen project. It also introduces the definition of a "hydrogen project" as any project that produces, processes, transports, stores, or uses hydrogen. The bill makes several insertions and deletions to the existing legal language, such as excluding certain renewable energy projects from the definition of "covered project" if they commenced construction before July 1, 2021, or were approved by regulatory authorities before January 1, 2022. Additionally, the bill outlines the roles of various state officials in seeking federal funding for hydrogen-related projects and activities. The act was approved on June 27, 2023.