West Virginia recently got word of a historic investment that will change the landscape of the state’s economy. I am talking about the announcement that the state will receive hundreds of millions of dollars to establish a hydrogen hub in Appalachia.
This announcement has led many to ask, what is a hydrogen hub?
A hydrogen hub is an energy network made up of producers, manufacturers, and users in the region. It will also consist of pipelines for the hydrogen and storage. This hub has been named the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub, or ARCH2 for short, and it is one of seven hubs around the nation.
This hub will utilize abundant natural gas produced right here in Appalachia to make hydrogen. The hydrogen will then be transported to consumers for a multitude of purposes, from manufacturing to electrical production. The hydrogen is being produced cleanly in a fashion that will reduce our carbon footprint and keep West Virginia at the forefront of energy production in the nation and the world.
The hydrogen hub represents a $925 million federal investment in this state, as well as parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Kentucky. This investment would not have been possible if not for the leadership of Senator Joe Manchin and Senator Shelley Moore Capito, both of whom supported the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. This bill is what made the projects possible.
Senator Manchin also fought long and hard to include language in the Inflation Reduction Act that made the production of hydrogen feasible and lead to this historic investment in Appalachia. I want to thank both of our senators for their hard work and dedication.
Because when it is all said and done, this investment is about jobs, jobs, and more jobs. Studies show that the hydrogen hub will create more than 20,000 jobs in the portion of Appalachia where these facilities are located, and the majority of those jobs will be in West Virginia.
Working in economic development in Marion County, I couldn’t tell you how happy I was when I heard the announcement about ARCH2. These federal dollars will spark an economic expansion in everything from natural gas production to manufacturing and from food and retail to hospitality. It will truly be a game-changer for NCWV and the entirety of Appalachia.
Private sector investment will follow this federal investment, so the true value of the $925 million in federal funds secured by our senators will be multiplied significantly. In fact, the federal dollars must be matched with private money. Currently there are 15 proposed projects in this hydrogen hub totaling $4 billion in investment.
We will see more energy production and more manufacturing right here in the region. Labor will greatly benefit from this project as union members will be tapped to build the infrastructure that will be needed for this hub.
West Virginia and Marion County has always been at the forefront of energy production in the nation. Coal mined here in the mountains powered the nation’s industrial revolution and helped drive the engine that allowed the United States to win two World Wars.
The natural gas produced right here in the state has helped meet the nation’s energy needs for decades and it will continue to do so. The fact that this hub will use natural gas to produce hydrogen ensures that this abundant and clean natural resource will be a part of our energy portfolio for generations to come and the economic benefits in West Virginia will be something our kids and our grandkids can enjoy.
Stay tuned because the best is yet to come, and I thank our senators, again, for making this happen.