New hydrogen hubs in the United States
President Joe Biden announced new hydrogen hubs in the United States on Friday as part of efforts to boost the economy with green energy.
President Biden is campaigning and taking certain initiatives in preparation for the 2024 elections.
“I’m here to announce one of the largest investments in advanced manufacturing in the history of this country: $7 billion in federal investments that will attract $40 billion in private investments in clean hydrogen energy,” said Biden.
The 80-year-old Democrat traveled to Philadelphia to unveil the regions that won a bidding war for billions of dollars in funding to establish the new hydrogen hubs.
The goal of these hubs is to produce approximately three million metric tons of clean hydrogen per year, equivalent to one-third of the U.S. production target for 2030, while reducing emissions.
“In total, the emissions reduction from these hydrogen hubs will be equivalent to taking 5.5 million gasoline-powered vehicles off the road,” declared Biden.
Biden, who is neck and neck with his likely rival in the coming year, Donald Trump, has made green energy a key part of his “Bidenomics” plan to revive the American industry and create jobs.
Hydrogen energy is also a crucial component of his goal to combat the climate crisis and bring the United States to “net-zero emissions” of pollutants by 2050 at the latest.
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The significant financial boost will be allocated to large-scale hydrogen production, the pipelines for transporting it, and helping industries and businesses adapt to its use.
The new hydrogen hubs in the United States will be located in California, Texas, the East Coast, the Midwest, the Pacific Northwest, the Appalachian mountain region in the Northeast, and the states of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Two of the states involved in the new hydrogen hubs projects are Pennsylvania in the eastern region and Michigan in the Midwest.
The Union of Concerned Scientists warned in a statement that the announcement of the hubs “promotes multiple projects based on hydrogen production and risky end uses of hydrogen.”
The hydrogen hubs are funded by a Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which includes $65 billion in clean energy investments in the Department of Energy.
Biden called for increasing production capacity for low and zero-carbon emission sources, known as “blue” and “green” hydrogen.
Blue hydrogen is produced from natural gas, with carbon dioxide captured during the manufacturing process. Green hydrogen is produced using renewable sources.
Collectively, the new hydrogen hubs aim to produce over three million metric tons of clean hydrogen per year, achieving nearly one-third of the United States’ clean hydrogen production target for 2030.
Together, the seven Hydrogen Hubs will eliminate 25 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from end uses each year, roughly equivalent to the annual emissions of over 5.5 million gasoline-powered cars.
The investment of nearly $50 billion represents one of the largest investments in clean manufacturing and jobs in history.
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