Public Accounts committee  We have been working on transportation routes as part of the—

Public Accounts committee  I think various parts of the country are going to have various advantages with respect to hydrogen. I mentioned earlier the work that we are doing with the provinces and territories through the regional tables, and that's partially to make sure that we are being as focused as we can be on specific advantages that each of the regions has.

Public Accounts committee  I would describe it as an area of real potential where we are dedicating very serious attention and serious resources, as we've mentioned, through various investments. In order for us to deal with the issues of both the climate crisis and energy security, we're going to have to think of a number of different pathways and pursue a number of different pathways in order to achieve what we need to achieve, but hydrogen certainly has the potential of being a very significant part of that mix.

Public Accounts committee  Mr. Chair, carbon capture and storage technology has been evolving over a number of years. It is not new, and we have applications of the technology that are functioning. In Alberta, the Quest project is an example. There are a couple of references there. There's the storage of the carbon, and there's also the means by which it's captured.

Public Accounts committee  I would say that, in order for us to achieve what we need to achieve in terms of decarbonization, we are going to need to pursue a whole series of different kinds of technologies, including carbon capture and storage, and that's been recognized internationally by leading authorities on energy and on climate.

Public Accounts committee  Mr. Chair, the potential here is manifold. We certainly have domestic applications of hydrogen that we are already seeing develop. I mentioned the transportation opportunities, but there are heavy industry opportunities as well. As the technology continues to develop.... I noted that there were a couple of feedstocks for hydrogen.

Public Accounts committee  Mr. Chair, as I mentioned, a series of conversations have been happening over the course of the last period of time, which increased our knowledge collectively with respect to hydrogen and its potential. I would say that we are seeing quite substantial progress. As I also mentioned, this is partially driven by our climate objectives.

Public Accounts committee  We are taking very substantial steps to address the emissions, which are just an aspect of our economy and society. The emissions reduction plan that was released in the spring is among the most ambitious and most detailed internationally to both understand the challenges that we face and provide pathways as to how we will be pursuing those challenges.

Public Accounts committee  There are a number of measures that have been announced, both in conjunction with the emissions reduction plan and through successive budgets, which are intended to foster innovation in this area. We've mentioned the investment tax credit that's been put in place with respect to the carbon capture and storage technologies.

Public Accounts committee  It is increasing. The technology is advancing and demand is increasing. Such things as the crisis in Europe are advancing this even more quickly.

Public Accounts committee  Again, there are a couple of pathways to hydrogen. Actually, there are several. The two principal ones present different sorts of challenges. If you're using electricity through electrolysis—separating water—then you need a sufficient energy supply in order for that to happen. Similarly, in the conversion of natural gas, you need to think about how energy is supplied in order to create the heat that would generate the separation of the molecules.

Public Accounts committee  Mr. Chair, we were engaged in a very specific exercise, which was to identify the full potential of hydrogen at a point in time. That exercise arrived at the figures that we've been discussing. That was intended as a call to action. It was not intended as an analysis, other than of the full potential of the technology.

Public Accounts committee  The risk is being left behind. As you mentioned, there is substantial investment that is happening internationally. We have strategic potential here. Any sorts of decisions with respect to this take time in order to come to fruition.

Public Accounts committee  Mr. Chair, the production of hydrogen is something that's been part of our industrial mix for a long time. We have been producing hydrogen in a variety of different ways through different technologies. What has changed recently is the degree of demand as some of the new technologies have come on board to create hydrogen both through electrolysis, which is through the conversion of water into hydrogen, and through the reform of natural gas, which essentially uses very high heat to separate out the hydrogen from the carbon in methane.

Public Accounts committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I am also honoured to be joining the committee from the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. Mr. Chair, the commissioner's report highlighted hydrogen's essential role in our future, and my department fully agrees. Much has happened since the report's release.