WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Hank Johnson’s bipartisan bill to advance the development of hydrogen energy for aviation is now law.

Last year, Johnson (GA-04), Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), introduced the bipartisan Hydrogen Aviation Strategy Act to advance the study and development of hydrogen energy for use in aviation.

The bill passed the U.S. House and Senate as part of this year’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization and was signed into law last month.

The bipartisan law will require the FAA to research and develop strategies for the use of hydrogen fuel in aviation within the next year. The law will also require the FAA to consult industry partners, airlines and hydrogen producers in the advancement of this new technology and establish a new advisory committee to develop recommendations on the adoption of hydrogen as an aviation energy source.

“Although the journey to zero emissions in commercial air travel won’t be easy, hydrogen could be a key player in helping us get there,” Johnson said. “The Hydrogen Aviation Strategy Act is a good first step. I thank Sen. Ossoff for his leadership on this front, and I look forward to the law creating good-paying Georgia jobs, providing greater energy security for the nation and fewer greenhouse emissions to fight climate change.”

“Hydrogen energy is a promising opportunity to create Georgia jobs, strengthen American energy security, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in multiple sectors, including transportation,” Ossoff said. “I’m grateful to my colleagues in both parties for passing our bipartisan bill to strengthen research and development of hydrogen as a next-generation fuel for the aviation sector.”

“With the United States at the forefront of technology development in the aviation sector, this legislation empowers manufacturers and agencies to consider various power solutions including hydrogen,” Graham said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to further explore advancements in hydrogen production and its integration throughout the aviation industry.”

“The aviation industry’s ambitious sustainability roadmap depends on stakeholders across the value chain collectively exploring new technologies and innovating toward a more sustainable future for travel,” said Amelia DeLuca, Delta’s chief sustainability officer. “From scaling existing fuel alternatives like sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to unlocking the potential of clean hydrogen for e-SAF and direct propulsion solutions, we are committed to working with leaders to decarbonize the future of flight and commend our leaders in Washington for prioritizing hydrogen research and development in the final FAA Reauthorization bill.”

“Aviation is the hardest sector to decarbonize.  Even as we continue to develop options that can drop into our existing airlines, I’m thankful to Sen. Ossoff on his leadership in passage of this bill that makes longer-range investments to enable game changing capabilities for zero carbon aviation,” said Dr. Tim Lieuwen, executive director of the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Strategic Energy Institute and Professor in its School of Aerospace Engineering.

“With our longstanding commitment to sustainability, Gulfstream applauds the Hydrogen Aviation Strategy Act and its focus on long term solutions to increasing sustainability in aviation and helping our industry meet established goals for carbon neutrality,” said Mark Burns, president of Gulfstream.

Per a press release, Johnson and Ossoff will continue working to strengthen American energy security by championing hydrogen energy research and investments for the State of Georgia and the Southeast.