WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, congratulated the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2) team for being selected as an awardee of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) regional clean hydrogen hub competition.
“Today is a major win for the ARCH2 team and for future economic development and energy production in West Virginia,” Senator Capito said. “Since we included language and funding for a hydrogen hub competition in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and at every stage since, I consistently supported efforts to help make this project a reality. I’m thrilled for the ARCH2 team, and am so proud West Virginia will continue its tradition as an innovative, energy-producing state through a regional hydrogen hub.”
A timeline of the West Virginia Hydrogen Hub Coalition’s work is available below:
- On April 11, 2023, Senators Capito and Manchin and Governor Justice applauded the ARCH2 team for submitting their hub application to the DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations.
- On March 16, 2023, Senator Capito sent a letter of support for the ARCH2 hub application to the DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations Director David Crane.
- On February 15, 2023, Senator Capito discussed the importance of the potential Appalachian Hydrogen Hub at an EPW Committee hearing.
- On January 17, 2023, Senators Capito and Manchin and Governor Justice applauded ARCH2’s announcement that DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations encouraged the Hub to submit a full application.
- On September 28, 2022, Senators Capito and Manchin, former Representative McKinley, and Governor Justice announced their support for the new Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub, comprised of over 40 entities.
- On July 28, 2022, Senators Capito and Manchin and Governor Justice convened a robust group of energy industry leaders for a morning of panel discussions and presentations.
- On April 28, 2022, Senators Capito and Manchin, former Representative McKinley and Governor Justice welcomed bipartisan members of West Virginia’s legislative leadership to the West Virginia Hydrogen Hub Coalition, including Speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates Roger Hanshaw, West Virginia Senate President Craig Blair, then-West Virginia Senate Minority Leader Stephen Baldwin, and then-West Virginia House Minority Leader Doug Skaff.
- On March 21, 2022, Senators Capito and Manchin, former Representative McKinley, and Governor Justice submitted the West Virginia Hydrogen Hub Coalition’s official response to DOE’s first step in the process to select winning hydrogen hubs funded by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
- On February 25, 2022, Senators Capito and Manchin, former Representative McKinley, and Governor Justice convened the initial organizing meeting of the West Virginia Hydrogen Hub Coalition.
- On February 15, 2022, Senators Capito and Manchin, former Representative McKinley, and Governor Justice announced the launch of the West Virginia Hydrogen Hub Coalition to collaborate and support a strong West Virginia candidate to be chosen to develop a hydrogen hub, funded through $9.5 billion allocated to DOE by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act included $9.5 billion for hydrogen, including $8 billion for Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs that will jumpstart the production, transport, and use of clean hydrogen across the U.S. economy, $1 billion for a Clean Hydrogen Electrolysis Program to reduce costs of hydrogen produced from clean electricity, and $500 million for Clean Hydrogen Manufacturing and Recycling initiatives to support equipment manufacturing and strong domestic supply chains. The legislation also requires one hub be located in Appalachia as the largest natural gas producing region.