President Joe Biden is returning Friday to Philadelphia, where he will reportedly announce that the region will receive $750 million in federal funding to become a hub for the production and distribution of hydrogen fuel.
Biden is set to deliver a speech in the city discussing how his economic policies are “creating good-paying union jobs, investing in infrastructure, accelerating the transition to a clean energy future, and combating the climate crisis,” the White House said.
He is also expected to reveal funding for the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub (MACH2), a coalition centered in Philadelphia that includes the states of Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey, the Associated Press and Reuters reported.
The hubs are an important part of the Biden administration’s clean energy plan. The infrastructure law signed by Biden in 2021 included billions of dollars for a program to establish six to 10 regional hubs.
The aim is to help industry replace fossil fuels such as coal and oil, which produce planet-warming greenhouse gasses, with cleaner-burning hydrogen as an energy source for vehicles, manufacturing and generating electricity.
There were 23 finalists for the $7 billion hydrogen fuel program.
In addition to the three states, MACH2 is supported by Philadelphia-area labor unions, university researchers and refineries. They say the goal is to be as climate-friendly as possible by making hydrogen through electrolysis — splitting water molecules using renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power, as well as nuclear power.
MACH2 partners include the City of Philadelphia, SEPTA and Philadelphia Gas Works.
The Energy Department says the hubs will produce “clean” hydrogen, although its definition includes hydrogen produced with natural gas. Gas companies have talked about mixing hydrogen at low concentrations with methane for delivery to homes and businesses.
Many experts consider hydrogen “clean” only if made through electrolysis. But some oil and gas companies say they can use fossil fuels as feedstocks if they capture the carbon dioxide and keep it out of the atmosphere.
Environmental groups are skeptical, arguing that while hydrogen is a clean-burning source of power, it takes a great deal of energy to produce. When it’s made with electricity from coal or natural gas, it has a bigger carbon footprint than simply burning the source fuel.
“It’s unacceptable that the Biden administration and states like New Mexico are promoting hydrogen and carbon capture, which will only increase oil and gas extraction at a time when the climate emergency demands the opposite,” said Soni Grant, a campaigner with the environmental group Center for Biological Diversity.
“Hydrogen is another bait and switch from an administration that continues to break its promises to aggressively tackle climate change and help communities achieve a just, equitable transition to renewable energy,” Grant said.
Metro reporter Jack Tomczuk contributed to this article.
