Report: Biden to announce federal grants for two hydrogen hubs

In a visit to Philadelphia on Friday, President Joe Biden is expected to announce that two hydrogen hubs partially located in Pennsylvania will receive federal grants from the Department of Energy, Reuters reported Wednesday.

The Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub, which includes parts of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey will receive a $750 million grant, Reuters reports, while the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2) including western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia will also receive one of the grants, although a specific amount for that hub was not cited.

Earlier this week, the White House announced that Biden would be visiting Philadelphia  to “discuss how his Bidenomics agenda is creating good-paying union jobs, investing in infrastructure, accelerating the transition to a clean energy future, and combatting the climate crisis.”

As Reuters reported, the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure bill provided up to $7 billion to launch an initiative it called the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program. The White House described the project in a July issue brief as “co-located ecosystems for clean hydrogen production, distribution, storage, and end-use.” The federal funding investments would help lower production costs by building infrastructure for clean hydrogen, the White House explained.

U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-2nd District), whose district includes the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub, said the investment would lead to the creation of hundreds of high-paying jobs in the region. “This is proof that by investing in renewable energy initiatives, we can protect our environment while simultaneously creating new jobs in the green sector,” Boyle said in a statement to the Capital-Star. “I look forward to joining President Biden on Friday for this significant event.”

Other elected officials in Pennsylvania have previously expressed their support for hydrogen hubs in the Keystone State.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) said a hydrogen hub could “power the industries upon which our workers and our world depends,” during a visit with Pittsburgh union workers in late June, while Gov. Josh Shapiro said that Pennsylvania “must lead the way by securing at least one hydrogen hub” during his budget address in March.

Friday’s visit will be Biden’s eighth of the year to the city of Brotherly Love.