US Dept. of Energy Selects Pacific Northwest for Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today selected the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association’s PNWH2 Hub for award negotiations as one of the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs following a competitive nationwide process. DOE’s H2Hubs will kickstart a national network of clean hydrogen producers, consumers, and connective infrastructure while supporting the production, storage, delivery, and end-use of clean hydrogen. Funded by President Biden's Investing in America agenda, the H2Hubs will accelerate the commercial-scale deployment of clean hydrogen—helping generate clean, dispatchable power, create a new form of energy storage, and decarbonize heavy industry and transportation. Together, they will also reduce 25 million metric tons of carbon dioxide) emissions from end-uses each year—an amount roughly equivalent to combined annual emissions of 5.5 million gasoline-powered cars—and create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs across the country while supporting healthier communities and strengthening America's energy security.

The PNWH2 Hub will leverage the abundant clean power and innovative technology companies in the Pacific Northwest to accelerate the transition to clean hydrogen production and use. The hub will focus on decarbonizing the region’s hard-to-electrify heavy-duty transportation, long-duration energy storage, ports, agriculture and industrial operations.

The hub’s projects will drive economic opportunity across all demographics, creating or supporting more than 10,000 good-paying jobs and stronger energy security to improve the lives and futures of people throughout the region. The hub vision and projects were developed with leadership from tribes, unions, industry and many others and will help deliver a shared vision of clean and equitable energy systems in the Pacific Northwest.

DOE and the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association will negotiate the final funding and scope for the hub beginning this fall. The following companies have projects proposed as part of the PNWH2 Hub:

• Air Liquide Hydrogen Energy US LLC
• Amazon.com, Inc.
• ALA Renewable Energy LLC
• Atlas Agro
• Centralia College
• Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc.
• Northwest Seaport Alliance
• NovoHydrogen Development, Inc.
• PACCAR Inc
• Portland General Electric Company (PGE)
• Puget Sound Energy (PSE)
• PUD No. 1 of Douglas County
• Regis Solar, LLC
• Synchronous LLC dba First Mode
• Twin Transit
• USA Fortescue Future Industries, Inc.
• Williams Field Services Group, LLC

The PNWH2 Hub is eligible to receive up to $1 billion in federal funding over four DOE-defined development phases spanning nine years, with $20 million allocated for Phase 1. DOE will evaluate the hub’s activities and deliver go/no-go decisions at each phase.

The PNWH2 Hub will kick off Phase 1 (detailed project planning) in early 2024 to refine projections submitted in the proposal and provide assurance to DOE that the overall hydrogen hub concept and proposed projects are technologically, financially and legally viable, with buy-in from local stakeholders. Project partners, who have been engaging with local communities for many months, will build on this groundwork with extensive community and labor engagement in Phase 1.

The PNWH2 Hub’s proposal was developed by a team of experts from each proposed project led by federal engineering, procurement and construction contractor Atkins. Guidance was provided by the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association Board and the Advisory Committee, as well as through community and partner feedback.

The Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association is a multi-state nonprofit coalition of public and private partners spanning Washington, Oregon and Montana. The coalition includes representatives from Tribal Nations, labor, business and industry, higher education, government and the environmental community.

For more information and updates on the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association, visit https://pnwh2.com.