Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm arrives to speak before U.S. President Joe Biden at Tioga Marine Terminal in Philadelphia.The U.S. government is making an unprecedented push to invest in clean hydrogen as part of its efforts to cut greenhouse gas pollution. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm tellsthat the government believes fuel will be crucial in decarbonizing heavy industrial processes, particularly steel and ammonia production.
Granholm, a former Michigan governor, spoke from Morgantown, West Virginia, after an event there with Senator Joe Manchin to detail the Appalachian Hub, which stretches from that state into western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. The 10 sites that are part of this hub are receiving up to $925 million and will focus on making hydrogen from the region’s natural gas resources but capturing and storing carbon emitted in the process.
Not all the hubs will focus on hydrogen generated from carbon-free sources, with many of the projects still utilizing natural gas. As a result, some environmental groups are critical of the government’s strategy, seeing the continued use of fossil fuels as running counter to the long-term goal of weaning the U.S. off carbon-based energy.