The energy landscape in the United States is undergoing a significant transformation driven by factors such as rising electricity demand from AI data centers, electric vehicles, and global competition. Despite these opportunities, regulatory uncertainty and political volatility regarding natural gas and clean hydrogen are hindering progress. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 marked a shift towards incentivizing clean energy technologies, including hydrogen, but challenges in implementation have slowed deployment. The debate over the 45V tax credit, which supports clean hydrogen production, is a focal point in current legislative discussions. The U.S. currently leads in hydrogen production, primarily from natural gas, but innovations like methane pyrolysis offer exciting possibilities. While the U.S. has committed a significant share of new hydrogen production capacity globally, repealing the 45V tax credit could jeopardize this position and cede ground to competitors like China, which has rapidly advanced in the hydrogen market. The article emphasizes the bipartisan opportunity clean hydrogen presents for the U.S. to expand its natural gas markets while pursuing decarbonization goals. It warns against abrupt policy reversals and calls for a strategic approach that streamlines permitting processes to facilitate the scale-up of hydrogen infrastructure. The piece underscores the importance of maintaining U.S. leadership in energy through deliberate policy choices that leverage domestic resources, encourage innovation, and attract investment in next-generation energy solutions.