Maine And Rhode Island Join New York-led Clean Hydrogen Hub Coalition

by Peter Maloney
APPA News
September 7, 2022

Maine and Rhode Island have joined a multi-state clean hydrogen hub in the New England-MidAtlantic region, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced late in August.

The newest members of the New York-led coalition join Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey in the effort 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.

In addition to the six states, the coalition includes 14 private sector companies, 12 utilities, 20 hydrogen original equipment manufacturers, 10 universities, seven non-profits, two transportation companies, and three state agencies.

Hochul’s office said New York would continue to engage with states and entities interested in joining the coalition.

The coalition members have agreed to work together to lay the groundwork for a proposal for the Department of Energy (DOE) funding opportunity expected to be announced in September or October with up to $8 billion in total funding available for regional clean hydrogen hubs.

They have also committed to collaborate with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), New York Power Authority (NYPA), and Empire State Development (ESD) to develop a clean hydrogen hub proposal.

Partner 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. These include Connecticut’s Global Warming Solutions Act goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050, Massachusetts’ goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, New Jersey’s Global Warming Response Act goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050, Maine’s statutory goals to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 and reduce gross greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80 percent by 2050, and Rhode Island’s commitment to achieving 100 percent renewable electricity by 2033.

The coalition also plans to continue to focus on the integration of renewables, such as onshore and offshore wind, hydropower, solar power, and nuclear power, into clean hydrogen production, and the evaluation of clean hydrogen for use in transportation, heavy industry, and power generation.

“This expanded collaboration with Maine, Rhode Island and other like-minded partners will significantly boost the value of our clean hydrogen hub proposal and make the Northeast a stronger, more multi-faceted contender for funding through the U.S. Department of Energy. Innovative technologies are showing the potential of green hydrogen as a fossil fuel alternative and the time is right to take a deeper dive into the many opportunities that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, benefit the workforce and help build a clean energy economy,” Justin E. Driscoll, interim president and CEO of NYPA, said in a statement.

In February, the Department of Energy (DOE) released two requests for information (RFI) to collect feedback from stakeholders to inform the implementation and design of two of the DOE’s clean hydrogen programs, which in total call for investments of up to $9.5 billion.

In March, the governors of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a proposal to vie for DOE’s regional clean hydrogen hub funding opportunity.