PENNSYLVANIA — President Joe Biden, during his visit to Philadelphia on October 13th, announced seven new regional hydrogen hub projects that span across 16 states. The projects, which will receive a combined funding of $7 billion through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), include two U.S. Department of Energy projects in Pennsylvania.
PennEnvironment Executive Director, David Masur, this week issued a statement expressing concern about the environmental implications of these projects. He emphasized that hydrogen fuel is not inherently clean or renewable, as its production requires other energy sources. He urged officials to support only those hydrogen energy projects that contribute to reducing the nation’s carbon footprint.
Masur outlined three crucial criteria for supporting such projects:
- The production of hydrogen fuel should rely solely on truly green energy sources like wind and solar.
- Hydrogen energy should power only hard-to-electrify sectors such as steel production, shipping, and air travel.
- Proposed hydrogen hub projects should undergo standard environmental review and public input processes.
Masur noted that almost all approved hydrogen hub projects, including the MACH2 project in southeastern Pennsylvania and the ARCH2 proposal in the Pittsburgh region, do not meet these principles. He expressed concern that these projects might extend the reliance on fossil fuels and deliver energy to sectors that can be efficiently powered with clean, renewable energy.
“Both the MACH2 project proposed for southeastern Pennsylvania and the ARCH2 proposal slated to include the Pittsburgh region will likely extend our reliance on dirty fossil fuels and deliver energy to sectors of our economy that already can be powered efficiently with clean, renewable energy,” said Masur.
However, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney lauded the MACH2 and ARCH2 Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs as transformative investments, creating thousands of jobs and tapping into Philadelphia’s talent pool. He viewed this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transition to the new energy economy.
“Over the next decade, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to see that our current energy workers are part of a just transition to the new energy economy and ensure that the next generation of workers gets a chance to participate in the future of energy – here in Philadelphia and across the state,” stated Mayor Kenney.
Ryan Boyer of the Philadelphia Building & Construction Trades Council highlighted the importance of the $750 million grant for the hydrogen hub. He stated that the upcoming projects would help train the next generation of construction and infrastructure workers.
Jim Snell of Steamfitters Local 420 saw the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub (MACH2) as a potential game-changer in the nation’s energy sector. He believed that the project would make Pennsylvania a leader in clean energy development, drive economic growth, and create good-paying union jobs.
Despite these positive views, Masur criticized the secretive and detail-lacking process of proposing and approving these expensive projects. He pointed out that taxpayers, who will bear a significant portion of the cost, were not given an opportunity to provide input.
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