Northeastern states propose regional clean hydrogen hub

Several regional governors, including Gov. Phil Murphy, announced a multi-state partnership to propose a regional clean hydrogen hub on March 24.

Alongside New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut, the Murphy administration will join with an initial group of 40 hydrogen ecosystem partners to develop a proposal to become one of at least four regional clean hydrogen hubs designated through the federal Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

“Clean hydrogen has the promise to expand New Jersey’s diverse clean energy portfolio,” Murphy said in a prepared statement. “Clean hydrogen technology also has the potential to improve net greenhouse gas emissions and harmful air pollutant impacts. Joining together with our regional partners will allow us to build a strong coalition for the development of clean hydrogen technology and cultivate economic growth and opportunity for New Jersey.”

The four states will collaborate with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority on proposal development, in consultation with coalition partners, to advance hydrogen projects to participate in the proposed hub, consistent with the core principles of greenhouse gas reduction, economic development, resilience and environmental justice. Partnering states will also coordinate with their respective state entities to help align the consortium’s efforts with each state’s climate and clean energy goals, including New Jersey’s Global Warming Response Act goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050, New York’s goal of Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions 85% by 2050, Connecticut’s Global Warming Solutions Act goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050, and Massachusetts’ goal to be carbon neutral by 2050.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said, “Coalitions like this one serve as a model to the nation on the collaboration that is required to meet this moment and bring us closer to a carbon-neutral future.” And Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker called the announcement “a critical step for regional collaboration in integrating this clean energy resource into our existing climate strategy.”

An initial coalition of 40 partners will work together to advance a vision that enables a long-term, sustainable, regional clean hydrogen industry, and to develop a proposal in response to the U.S. Department of Energy Funding Opportunity Announcement, anticipated to launch in May 2022 with $8 billion in funding available.

Partners include:

· Alliance Energy Group LLC
· Alternative Aviation Fuels LLC
· BAE Systems
· Bloom Energy Corp.
· CALSTART
· Climate Jobs NY
· Columbia University
· Consolidated Edison Company of New York Inc.
· Constellation Energy Generation LLC
· Cornell University
· Cummins Inc.
· Daroga Power
· Doosan Fuel Cell America Inc.
· Ecolectro Inc.
· Empire State Development (ESD)
· FuelCell Energy
· Invenergy Hydrogen LLC
· Liberty Utilities (St. Lawrence Gas) Corp.
· Long Island Power Authority (LIPA)
· National Grid
· National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium
· New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology (NY-BEST)
· New York Power Authority (NYPA)
· New York University
· Next Hydrogen Corp.
· Nucor Steel Auburn Inc.
· Ohmium International
· Orange and Rockland Utilities Inc.
· Plug Power Inc.
· Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
· Standard Hydrogen Corp.
· Stony Brook University / Advanced Energy Center (AERTC)
· The City College of New York (CUNY)
· The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
· University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
· Vermont Gas Systems (VGS)
· WATT Fuel Cell Corp.

Together, partners and partnering states will establish plans for the regional hydrogen hub that can advance safe green hydrogen energy innovation and investment to address climate change; perform research and analysis necessary to support the hub proposal and align on approach to quantifying greenhouse gas emissions reductions as a result of deploying this technology; and develop a framework to ensure the ecosystem for innovation, production, infrastructure, and related workforce development is shared across all partner states.