By GREGORY ZELLER //
Seven states, including New York, have submitted a U.S. Department of Energy proposal for the creation of a multibillion-dollar, multistate hydrogen-energy network.
Along with counterparts in New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, lawmakers in Albany are lobbying the Department of Energy for $1.25 billion in funding – what they hope will be the financial backbone of a vast, $3.62 billion clean-energy system.
All told, the Northeast Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub would include more than a dozen large-scale infrastructure projects across several states, collectively designed to advance electrolytic hydrogen production and distribution. Hydrogen energy is seen by many as a sustainable solution for hard-to-decarbonize industrial sectors (transportation and heavy construction, for example) and a potentially ginormous contributor to participating states’ individual clean-energy goals.
The Northeast proposal will now be reviewed by the Department of Energy, which is slated to distribute up to $8 billion in funding for regional hydrogen hubs starting this fall.
Adam Zurofsky: Cooperation is appreciated.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who dubbed the Empire State “a leader on climate action,” said a connected and sustainable Northeast hydrogen industry “will bring jobs and economic development to the region.”
“We are ready to work with our state partners and local communities to capitalize on federal funding and ensure this program benefits the entire region, while becoming part of a connected hydrogen-hub network nationwide,” Hochul said Monday.
The project package submitted this week to the Department of Energy has been in development for roughly one year.
In partnership with officials from Connecticut, New Jersey and Massachusetts, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority first announced the hub in March 2022. Rhode Island, Maine and Vermont – and about 100 partners total, including public and private entities – subsequently signed a Memorandum of Understanding and contributed to the hub plan.
The coordinated strategy envisions a multistate ecosystem connecting hydrogen producers, hydrogen users, state-level safety experts, original equipment manufacturers, labor representatives and other stakeholders, all focused on prioritizing electrolytic hydrogen production, facilitating a clean-energy transition and growing the clean-energy workforce.
If selected for Department of Energy funding, the Northeast Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub is slated to roll out in four phases over roughly a dozen years, replete with construction and decarbonization milestones.
It’s an ambitious effort, but an important one – and it’s filled with environmental and economic opportunities, according to Adam Zurofsky, interim director of the fledgling Northeast hub.
“Today’s proposal reflects the ability of our region to cooperate to build a hydrogen ecosystem that can realize those opportunities and demonstrate the benefits of clean hydrogen beyond our borders,” Zurofsky said in a statement. “We are grateful for the opportunity to participate in this groundbreaking federal program and look forward to making the vision of the Northeast Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub a reality.”
