Clean hydrogen will be essential for a decarbonized world, and the industry is ready for liftoff. However, a debate is raging behind the scenes on what qualifies as “clean.” Energy Innovation’s Dan Esposito discusses how the federal government is set to be the arbiter, with its forthcoming rules controlling how hundreds of billions in public funding get disbursed. A loose definition risks making climate-warming emissions from hydrogen production 2-5x worse than today’s processes under an illusion of being zero-carbon. But, with proper safeguards in place, government support can grow the robust–and truly clean–hydrogen industry we need.