The Department of Energy launched its second hydrogen hub Wednesday, signing a multistate deal for a $1 billion network in the Pacific Northwest.
The hub, known as PNWH2, is the second of seven hubs funded by the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law expected to come online this year. The announcement, which was applauded by lawmakers from the hosting states of Washington, Oregon and Montana, comes on the heels of last week’s launch of California’s $1.2 billion hub.
“Mitigating climate change requires enormous effort and prioritization of resources,” said Oregon Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek in a statement. “Today’s announcement marks an exciting step forward in reaching our collective goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure a clean energy future.”
The infrastructure law provided $7.8 billion dollars for building out regional networks to produce and use clean hydrogen, which envisions producing fuel with low-carbon power or gas tied to carbon capture. DOE selected seven regional hubs in October. PNWH2’s proposed plan includes 19 major projects that span the three states.
