Conor Lamb and Kate Harper: Western Pa. ready to lead hydrogen energy revolution

Western Pennsylvania has abundant natural resources and now it has the opportunity to be at the leading edge of a technological innovation that can change our communities, our economy and the world — all for the better.

That’s what we have with the advent of hydrogen as a viable low-carbon fuel source.

While the political narrative often focuses on the age-old debate of fossil fuels versus renewables, a better way has emerged as a commonsense strategy for our decarbonized energy future.

And Western Pennsylvania is primed to lead this better way forward — leveraging both our natural energy endowments in the Marcellus Shale, as well as new investments in hydrogen technology.

A clean energy strategy that powers our economy and strengthens our communities is not a Republican or Democratic issue. It’s an American issue, a Pennsylvania issue.

And it’s why we both have agreed to co-lead Energy Future PA. We may belong to opposing parties, but we also believe that to win the future, we must put America and Pennsylvania first.

The federal government has already recognized Pennsylvania’s potential for national leadership in the hydrogen production boom. The Keystone State is the only state in the nation to be selected for two of the coveted Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub projects which will receive federal funding.

Here in western Pennsylvania, the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2) has the potential to infuse billions of dollars in public and private investment into our region — creating well-paying jobs for workers and families — with community input as the project details are developed.

What makes ARCH2 so potentially impactful is how it so clearly captures the essence of our region’s “better way” approach. First, it’s a project that is built through partnerships, with labor unions, energy companies, neighboring states and the federal government all playing a critical role.

But just as important as those partnerships is the commonsense approach for how ARCH2 would produce low-carbon hydrogen — using the rich reserves of cleaner natural gas as a feedstock and using carbon capture technology to mitigate carbon emissions at the source. We will need this technology if we are to produce the hydrogen needed to decarbonize industry and heavy-duty transportation.

This is what Energy Future PA means when we say we believe in a better way — one that endorses and leverages 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 low-to-zero-carbon fuel sources such as clean hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage technologies, among others.

Hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding could be funneled into our region to create the ARCH2 hydrogen hub. But that’s only seed money for the much larger portion of the cost, which would have to be funded through private investment.

A broad coalition of stakeholders is needed to draw both public-sector and private-sector investment into these projects. But we also need the public’s support for these innovative investments.

If you want family-sustaining jobs, sustainable economic development, a strong and reliable electric grid and a clean energy future where Western Pennsylvania leads the way, we encourage you to join us.

Hydrogen is more than just an alternative energy source. It has the potential to power our economy and strengthen our local communities.

That potential will only be realized if the policies and incentives around these projects are structured thoughtfully. That’s why we were heartened to see U.S. Sen. Bob Casey’s letter to the Biden administration seeking changes to the 45V Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit guidance, which was created by the Inflation Reduction Act to bolster the U.S. hydrogen market.

The 45V tax credit is meant to reward the least carbon-intense hydrogen but the current formula offers no incentive to improve the cleanliness of a project’s feedstock. Casey noted that by allowing hydrogen producers to specify the actual leak rate of their natural gas feedstock, producers, including ARCH2 projects who use Pennsylvania’s low-leak natural gas, can qualify for the higher level of tax credit and give them more reason to continue eliminating leaks.

Pennsylvania workers and communities deserve to have the best chance of success with both hydrogen hub projects.

With smart public policy and committed private investment, Pennsylvania is ready and willing to lead the hydrogen energy revolution.

Conor Lamb and Kate Harper are co-chairs of Energy Future PA, a nonpartisan coalition focused on securing Pennsylvania’s leadership in a decarbonized energy economy. Lamb is a former Democratic U.S. Congressman from Allegheny County, and Harper is a former Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing parts of Montgomery County.