Washington, D.C. – In response to a rapidly developing global hydrogen economy, a cross-practice, multinational team of lawyers and policy professionals from global law firm K&L Gates LLP have released The H2 Handbook, a first-of-its-kind, extensive review of the legal, regulatory, commercial, and policy issues that will impact and shape the future of hydrogen. The H2 Handbook offers resources across a range of geographies, initially focusing on Australia, the European Union, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and considers both common and unique issues that each region will face as a robust, global hydrogen economy develops. 

“The potential for hydrogen to transform the global energy economy is tremendous,” said Sandra Safro, practice group coordinator for K&L Gates’ oil, gas & resources practice group and co-leader of the firm’s hydrogen initiative. “While hydrogen implicates unique questions, many of the legal, regulatory, policy, and commercial issues that hydrogen faces resemble challenges that other global energy commodities faced in years past. The solutions ultimately may not be the same, but there are important lessons-learned from these experiences that will progress the commercial-scale deployment of hydrogen.”

With hydrogen expected to play a crucial role in reducing carbon emissions and slowing climate change, companies across industries including utilities, manufacturers, automotive and high-tech companies, and supermajors, among others, are recognizing its potential and taking an active role in the development of the nascent industry. 

Australian energy partner Matt Baumgurtel stated: “Hydrogen will enable the international trade in renewable energy the way hydrocarbons are traded today, and thereby become the energy export commodity of the future. This disruption will forever change global energy markets with lasting geopolitical implications. Australia and the entire Asia-Pacific region will be critical players in these developments as both exporters and importers of hydrogen.”

Led by Washington, D.C., partners Sandra Safro and David Wochner, London partner James Green and senior associate Joshua Spry, and Sydney partners Matt Baumgurtel and Clive Cachia, the more than 50 authors of the handbook include K&L Gates lawyers and public policy professionals from around the world, from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco, Sydney, Berlin, and Brussels to London, Houston, Tokyo, and beyond. 

With decades of experience in the electricity, renewables, natural gas, and LNG sectors, the lawyers on K&L Gates’ hydrogen team fundamentally understand the energy economy and cover a wide range of disciplines relevant to the build out of a hydrogen economy, including renewable energy, real estate, finance, insurance coverage, intellectual property, tax, policy advocacy, environmental, corporate, commercial, and disputes.

Access The H2 Handbook here, or visit K&L Gates’ website to learn more about the firm’s offerings in the energy and hydrogen spaces.