Hydrogen governance in Germany: a challenge for federal coordination

Abstract

ABSTRACT With the National Hydrogen Strategy, the German government defined an initial framework for the integration of hydrogen into the energy system. At the subnational level, most Länder have also adopted individual hydrogen strategies. This article examines the coherence between the different strategies. We find a fragmentation of the different strategic goals and approaches towards the market ramp-up of hydrogen technologies, which results from a deficient multilateral coordination within the federal system. Hydrogen coordination in Germany is constrained by party-political and territorial conflicts, but also by the interaction between intra- and intergovernmental dynamics. Thus, to prevent fragmentation of complex energy transition issues, such as hydrogen, regular coordination is required at both the intra- and intergovernmental levels. Given the exemplary nature of the German case, this analysis offers insights for the study of similar coordination challenges encountered in various federal and multi-level systems.