Legislators on both sides of the aisle voiced their support for reducing carbon emissions and turning Pennsylvania into a regional hydrogen hub.
In a bipartisan statement released Friday, June 3, several state congresspeople joined the governor in written support of new initiatives to expand
and modernize Pennsylvania’s industrial and manufacturing while reducing carbon emissions by incorporating Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) & Clean Hydrogen Technologies.
“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,” said Governor Wolf. “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 in a national leader in the transition to clean energy.”
The letter states that over the past year, the commonwealth has partnered with the Team Pennsylvania Foundation to convene energy and industrial stakeholders across a variety of sectors to build consensus and develop the public-private partnerships needed to address the challenge of industrial sector decarbonization with a focus on the following:
- Identifying priority opportunities and requirements for deploying CCUS and hydrogen with an emphasis on preparing Pennsylvania to compete for energy-related funding from the federal government.
- Taking action to ensure that we capitalize on our potential to unleash innovative, technological, and market-driven solutions to reducing emissions while creating jobs in the industrial sector.
- Working collaboratively with business and industry to ensure that we deliver practical recommendations and solutions.
- Building this initiative with a broad set of stakeholders to ensure that the work is nonpartisan and sustainable.
“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 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 steel-making, heavy transportation, and manufacturing. It also provides the opportunity to use Pennsylvania’s abundant energy resources to produce hydrogen and provide good-paying jobs. 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,” said Congressman Mike Doyle. “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.”
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