Energy Future PA Raises Alarm Bells Over $1.7 Billion in Federal Funding Cuts for Pa. Hydrogen Projects

HARRISBURG Pa. – Energy Future PA today warned that Pennsylvania could be at risk of losing $1.7 billion in previously approved federal funding for two regional clean hydrogen hubs – a move that would likely kill the projects, along with thousands of jobs.

The nonpartisan coalition pointed to multiple news reports and a widely circulated spreadsheet that showed both of Pennsylvania’s proposed regional hydrogen hubs on the chopping block by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Two years ago, Energy Future PA cheered the announcement that Pennsylvania would benefit from federal funding for two regional hydrogen hub projects – the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub (MACH2) project in eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey; and the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2) project in western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio.

However, recent reports indicate the U.S. Department of Energy is planning to terminate the full $7 billion in federal funding for all regional clean hydrogen hub projects across the country – including both ARCH2 and MACH2.

The proposed cuts are part of a larger plan to gut $23 billion in funding for over 600 projects nationwide, according to the Clean Air Task Force.

Beyond the two hydrogen hub projects, the list proposes to slash hundreds of millions of dollars in planned investments across Pennsylvania – including solar energy projects, a major truck battery plant in the Lehigh Valley, carbon capture pilot projects at U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works, industrial electrification projects, several workforce development initiatives and more.

Energy Future PA Co-Chairs Kate Harper and Conor Lamb today issued the following statement in response to the proposed cuts:

“At a time when both political parties acknowledge that we need more energy to fuel our growing tech-driven economy, it simply defies logic to pull back from critical investments in new energy production, including the promise of clean energy from these regional hydrogen hubs.

“If these federal funds are ripped away, the real losers will be Pennsylvania workers, businesses and communities – all of whom stood to benefit from billions of dollars in economic development from clean hydrogen production.

“We urge Pennsylvania’s elected leaders in Congress to fight to keep Pennsylvania’s leadership in our new energy economy. Fight to preserve our federal investment in the ARCH2 and MACH2 hydrogen hubs.”

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About Energy Future PA

Energy Future PA is a nonpartisan coalition of independent organizations focused on securing Pennsylvania’s leadership in a new, decarbonized energy economy. The coalition endorses a comprehensive suite of energy solutions to help meet the nation’s future energy needs and bolster reliability of the nation’s power grid – including renewables, low-to-zero carbon sources such as clean hydrogen, nuclear energy, and carbon capture and storage technologies. Energy Future PA believes in a people-first strategy that preserves and expands jobs, powering the economy and strengthening communities. Learn more at EnergyFuturePA.org.