The second and the third factors are related to the capital cost and the efficiency of the electrolyzer. Surprisingly, we found that lowering the capital cost of the electrolyzer leads to higher benefits that increasing its efficiency. Lowering equipment costs can potentially result from lowering of material costs (by finding new and inexpensive materials) and/or from mass manufacturing and deployment of these systems (incentivized by growing interest in decarbonization). For instance, material costs of electrolyzer equipment (specifically the catalyst-coated membrane (CCM), porous transport layer (PLT), and bipolar plates) significantly impact overall stack costs. The CCM, created by depositing layers of catalysts on both sides of a membrane to form the cathode and anode layers where the electrochemical reaction occurs, accounts for 40% of the stack cost. The PLT, made from sintered titanium, is responsible for transporting reactant water to the catalyst layers and removing produced oxygen gas, contributing 20% to the stack cost. The bipolar plates, made of stainless steel, are designed for distributing fuel gas and air and conducting electrical current, also contribute 20% to the stack cost. The discovery of new materials to reduce the cost of these stack components can thus improve the overall viability of the methanol process.