In a groundbreaking announcement, Senator Joe Manchin, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, has revealed that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is investing up to a staggering $925 million in federal support for the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2). This momentous development is made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and it’s set to bring a hydrogen revolution to the heart of West Virginia. The heart of this initiative, the ARCH2 hub, will be based in Morgantown.
Morgantown will serve as the central hub for the ARCH2 project, which involves establishing ten production sites across the state to extract hydrogen from natural gas. These production nodes, set to be strategically located in Belle in Kanawha County, Follansbee in Brooke County, Washington in Wood County, Point Pleasant in Mason County, and Fairmont in Marion County, will be interconnected through a network of pipelines.
Senator Manchin’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a game-changer, allocating a generous $8 billion towards Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs. These hubs are destined to ignite the production, transportation, and utilization of clean hydrogen on a nationwide scale. As one of the chosen Hydrogen Hub recipients, ARCH2 will spearhead the establishment of a vast network for hydrogen-based energy and product manufacturing within West Virginia’s borders. The ripple effect of this initiative is projected to yield over 20,000 job opportunities, with the majority of them benefiting West Virginians. Moreover, the $925 million in federal funding is anticipated to unlock an additional $6 billion in private-sector matching funds.
Senator Manchin, representing the West Virginia Hydrogen Hub Coalition, expressed his honor and excitement over this momentous announcement: “On behalf of the West Virginia Hydrogen Hub Coalition, I am so honored to announce that today, the U.S. Department of Energy has selected the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub for up to $925 million in federal support under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This means West Virginia will be the new epicenter of hydrogen in the United States of America. We won the hub because of the hard work of countless individuals and organizations, and I could not be prouder to be making this announcement today. As Chairman of the Senate Energy Committee, I wrote and fought for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to include $8 billion to establish hydrogen hubs to demonstrate the production and use of clean hydrogen — and now, West Virginia will be on the leading edge of building out the new hydrogen market while bringing good-paying jobs and new economic opportunity to the state.”
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a beacon of hope for West Virginia’s economic future, with a total of $9.5 billion earmarked for hydrogen-related initiatives. Apart from the $8 billion designated for Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs, this legislation also allocates $1 billion for a Clean Hydrogen Electrolysis Program, aimed at reducing the costs of hydrogen production from electricity. An additional $500 million has been dedicated to Clean Hydrogen Manufacturing and Recycling initiatives, supporting equipment manufacturing and strengthening domestic supply chains. The legislation’s foresight ensures that at least one hub will be strategically located in Appalachia, recognizing the region’s significance as the largest natural gas producing area.
In summary, this remarkable investment in ARCH2 is a testament to the immense potential of clean hydrogen as a source of sustainable energy and economic growth. West Virginia is poised to take the lead in this transformative industry, creating thousands of job opportunities and opening up new avenues for economic prosperity. The future is indeed bright for West Virginia, as it becomes the epicenter of clean hydrogen innovation in the United States.
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