A base-facilitated process for producing hydrogen. Hydrogen is produced from a reaction of carbonaceous matter with a base and water, preferably through the formation of a bicarbonate or carbonate by-product. The base-facilitated hydrogen-producing reactions are thermodynamically more spontaneous and are able to produce hydrogen gas at less extreme reaction conditions than conventional reformation or gasification reactions of carbonaceous matter. In another embodiment, the instant reactions permit the production of hydrogen from carbonaceous matter without the production of carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide. In a preferred embodiment, the carbonaceous matter is coal or a derivative thereof.