PacNW Hydrogen Hub Awarded First Round of Funding to Kickstart Plan to Produce, Store, & Deploy Clean Fuel | U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington
Summary
Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced that the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association (PNWH2) will receive $27.5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to kickstart the first phase of a $1 billion federal investment to develop hydrogen as a green energy source in the region.Todays announcement is a huge milestone in our regions efforts to create a hydrogen ecosystem that can help provide clean and affordable alternative fuels for our heavy-duty transportation and manufacturing facilities, Sen. Cantwell said. Today DOE announced that PNWH2 received Phase 1 award status and will receive an initial amount of up to $27.5 million to fund initial planning, permitting, and analysis activities to ensure that the overall Hub concept is technologically and financially viable, with input from relevant local stakeholders. Cantwell worked to include the H2Hubs program and other key hydrogen investments in the BIL during consideration in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, where she served as a senior member, in July 2021, and push for its successful passage through the Senate. The letter also stated, Getting it right means capitalizing on this opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions faster and enhance our energy security, while strengthening our economy, creating thousands of jobs, and combating the climate crisis.The H2Hubs program was established by the BIL. It designates up to $7 billion in competitive grants to establish between six and 10 regional clean hydrogen hubs across the United States.