Article Summary –
President Joe Biden announced a $7 billion initiative to increase the availability of hydrogen as a fuel source and curb carbon dioxide emissions, with a view to create seven regional hydrogen hubs. The Mid-Atlantic Hydrogen Hub, covering the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Delaware region, is estimated to create about 20,800 jobs. The funding for the hydrogen hubs comes from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and is part of the Biden administration’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and a 100% clean electrical grid by 2035.
President Biden’s Green Energy Initiative: A New Dawn of Hydrogen Fuel and Job Creation
President Joe Biden announced a $7 billion initiative aimed at enhancing hydrogen as a fuel source and reducing carbon dioxide emissions at Philadelphia’s Tioga Marine Terminal. He was welcomed by U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and surprisingly, also by two members of the Boilermakers Local 13 union, Matthew Fink and B.J. Cryder. The initiative includes the creation of seven regional hydrogen hubs, which the president noted would create “good paying jobs, union jobs”.
The hubs are expected to produce hydrogen that could replace fossil fuels. This versatile fuel source can power vehicles and potentially supplement or replace natural gas used by power plants, presenting near-zero greenhouse gas emissions potential, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
The Mid-Atlantic Hydrogen Hub, spanning Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, is projected to create 20,800 jobs. This influx is a positive turn for Philadelphia’s manufacturing sector, which has been struggling since the 2019 closure of a South Philadelphia oil refinery and resultant 1,000 layoffs.
The funding for hydrogen hubs originates from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding. The $1.2 trillion infrastructure law provides federal funding for several structural improvements including expanded internet access in rural areas and the replacement of aging lead pipes. The bill received support from all nine of Pennsylvania’s Congressional Democrats and was signed into law by Biden.
Along with the Mid-Atlantic Hydrogen Hub, the Appalachian Hydrogen Hub, including West Virginia and Ohio, is also planned. The remaining five hubs will span several states across the country. These hubs, creating networks of hydrogen producers and consumers, align with the Biden administration’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Ryan Boyer, the first Black leader of the Philadelphia Building and Constructions Trades Council, introduced Biden with a statement praising the potential impact of the hydrogen hub jobs on union workers and their communities.
Government officials, including Granholm, commended the plan as heralding the “dawn of a new manufacturing sector in the U.S.”
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