Bradford Crabtree

Brad Crabtree is Global Head of Commercial Policy for ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions with responsibility for carbon capture and storage, low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia, low-carbon power, and critical minerals. He brings three decades of experience working with industry, governments and stakeholders to advance technology and policy solutions for reducing carbon emissions in the U.S. and globally.

Brad recently served as Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy and Carbon Management at the U.S. Department of Energy. He led over 2,000 federal employees and contractors and oversaw a domestic and international portfolio spanning oil and gas, methane mitigation, natural gas exports, carbon management, hydrogen, and critical minerals.

Prior to DOE, Brad was Vice President for Carbon Management at the Great Plains Institute. There, he co-founded and directed the Carbon Capture Coalition, bringing together over 80 companies, labor unions, and environmental organizations in a successful decade-long campaign to reform and expand the U.S. federal 45Q tax credit for carbon capture and storage.

Brad has lived, studied and worked in Europe, Southeast Asia and Latin America and holds a bachelor’s degree from the Georgetown School of Foreign Service and a master’s in history from Johns Hopkins University.

Session Overview

Wednesday, 5 November

15:05

Hydrogen Conference Room A 15:05 - 15:35

From incentives to mandates: policy levers that drive hydrogen adoption

Accelerating the hydrogen market is a formidable challenge, one that parallels the maturation trajectories of sectors like liquefied natural gas (LNG) and solar. Demand-pull strategies, such as the requirement for a certain percentage of hydrogen used in specific sectors to be green, can fuel demand and encourage investment in production facilities. At the same time, policy mandates can reduce investment risks by establishing clear targets and regulations – factors that are particularly important in the early stages of technology development and infrastructure expansion. Additionally, subsidies, tax credits and carbon pricing mechanisms can be leveraged to reduce the green premium of hydrogen production. For instance, the section 45V Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit implemented as part of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act may have been one of the most competitive incentives globally, but it remains to be seen whether administration-related changes will impact its roll-out. In any case, effective policy mandates have the potential to significantly accelerate the transition to adopting hydrogen as a clean energy carrier.

Attendee insights:

Understand the delicate balance between policy-driven demand and organic market growth. Join the conversation around strategic frameworks that align regulatory actions with industry investments and technological advancements.