On May 17, 2022, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf (D) announced that the state is working to establish a Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub funded under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).[1] The IIJA allocates $8 billion for four hydrogen hubs in the U.S. to expand the use of clean hydrogen in the industrial sector. The law requires that at least two of these hubs are located in regions with the highest natural gas resources, such as Pennsylvania. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), Pennsylvania is the second-largest producer of natural gas and the third-largest producer of coal in the U.S.[2] The state also has sizeable industrial and manufacturing industries, which could help it succeed as a hydrogen hub. The clean hydrogen hub could bring more jobs to the state, as well as help it reduce its emissions. Pennsylvania currently ranks fourth in carbon dioxide emissions from the energy sector, according to the EIA. The Department of Energy (DOE) expects that applications for the hydrogen hub funding will open later this summer.
[1] https://dced.pa.gov/newsroom/gov-wolf-announces-aggressive-push-to-secure-clean-hydrogen-hub-in-pennsylvania/