Gov. Tom Wolf gets support for efforts to develop clean hydrogen

Gov. Tom Wolf received support for his clean hydrogen hub initiative today, moving the state closer to less carbon-intense forms of energy. 

Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation penned a letter to the Biden Administration backing Wolf’s efforts to make Pennsylvania a leader in the development of clean hydrogen. 

The goal is to ensure Pennsylvania’s competitiveness to be a Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub through an investment by the U.S. Department of Energy, Wolf said. 

The bipartisan statement of support signed by the congressional delegation and Wolf highlights Pennsylvania’s shared commitment to expand and modernize the state’s industrial and manufacturing base with less carbon-intensive forms of energy. 

“If Pennsylvania can achieve the goal of becoming one of our nation’s Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs, we will bring jobs and economic growth and lay a foundation for an industrial and manufacturing sector that can continue to compete in today’s economy,” Wolf said. “I’m excited to see support for our ambitions continue to grow. I look forward to continuing to build on this momentum over the coming months to emerge as a national leader in the transition to clean energy.” 

The Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs initiative is part of the Biden Administration’s effort to create good paying energy jobs by expanding the use of clean hydrogen in the industrial sector. 

 Pursuing this opportunity will promote the creation of clean jobs in Pennsylvania, while supporting the Biden Administration’s commitment to significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the Wolf administration said. 

In 2019, Governor Wolf signed Executive Order 2019-01 to establish Pennsylvania’s first climate goals, as part of his strategy to fight climate change and protect Pennsylvania from climate dangers. Those goals call for a statewide reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions 26 % by 2025, with a further 80 % reduction by 2050 from 2005 levels. 

Gov. Wolf’s 2019 Executive Order also established the PA GreenGov Council, which develops strategies to help state government reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and representatives of Congress signed onto the statement of support, saying, in part: 

“Pennsylvania has all the building blocks it needs to be successful in this new energy ecosystem: a competitive advantage in energy production, promising geology for permanently storing carbon dioxide, a diverse economy with a strong industrial base and highly skilled workforce, and a commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”  

The letter goes on to say, “The undersigned are aligned in their commitment to take the steps necessary to create a regional ecosystem to achieve decarbonization, transition to clean hydrogen, and to ensure the commonwealth is competitive in attracting investments and creating jobs in all parts of its economy.” 

“Hydrogen offers the potential to decarbonize industries like steelmaking, heavy transportation, and manufacturing. It also provides the opportunity to use Pennsylvania’s abundant energy resources to produce hydrogen and provide good paying jobs, said Congressman Mike Doyle, D-Allegheny. 

” Pennsylvania has been an energy powerhouse and a leader in new energy technologies for decades and we once again have the resources, the know-how, and the engagement from the private sector to continue leading the way,” he said. “That is why I authored the Hydrogen Hubs provisions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and am excited to work with my delegation colleagues to ensure that Pennsylvania is a Clean Hydrogen Hub. Together we can build a prosperous and cleaner future for our state.”