HARRISBURG, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — As the Biden administration moves ahead with a $7 billion plan for regional hydrogen hubs to meet environmental goals, some environmentalists worry the president's plan will prop up fossil fuels and create more greenhouse gasses.
Gov. Josh Shapiro says Pennsylvania is the only state in the country to secure two regional clean hydrogen hub projects: one in the western part of the state, and one Philadelphia. The two projects appear to be very different.
According to initial plans, a carbon hub planned for Southeastern Pennsylvania would use renewable energy and nuclear power to split water molecules, known as green carbon.
The Applachian hub, which will include part of western Pennsylvania, would produce blue hydrogen, pulling it from natural gas molecules, with the carbon byproducts captured and injected into the ground.
Patrick McDonnell, president and CEO of clean-energy nonprofit PennFuture, says they need to see more details about Philadelphia's hub, and they have concerns about the Appalachian hub's reliance on natural gas.
"It's very unproven — very unsure exactly what the results of that will be — not something that's been done at anywhere near this kind of scale," he said.
"There's studies that have been done that show you actually produce 20% more greenhouse gas emissions by going through a blue hydrogen kind of process," he said.
And, while the carbon is captured and injected into the ground, he says there are potential environmental impacts.
McDonnell says hydrogen hubs could be part of a larger plan to decarbonize the economy, especially in industries that lack effective alternatives, like steel or cement manufacturing, but he'd rather see a $7 billion investment in more proven energy technologies.
Shapiro is touting the plan as beneficial to Pennsylvania's environment and economy, some state lawmakers are questioning it. Chester County Democrat Katie Muth calls it a "taxpayer-funded experiment that puts the lives of Pennsylvanians at risk."
Democratic State Rep. Danielle Friel Otten says without proper oversight and regulation, it "has the potential to be the latest exercise in greenwashing."
