Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced a major push to make New York State the home of the nation’s first Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub, as envisioned by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Schumer explained in a letter to US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm how New York is already a national leader in hydrogen energy production and research, with Plug Power currently building North America’s largest green hydrogen production facility in Western New York.
According to Schumer, if the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub is chosen for federal funding, it will result in thousands of new clean energy jobs in New York as well as significant federal investment, establishing New York as a leader in the fight against climate change and the future of carbon-free energy production.
“From WNY, Rochester, and the Capital Region to Long Island, New York is leading the nation in hydrogen energy production sparking innovative research that is literally turning water into carbon free power for electricity, fuel cells, and so much more. That is why I wrote to Energy Secretary Granholm directly to make it clear that New York has all the right ingredients to be the nation’s first ever Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub and fuel America’s clean energy future,” said Senator Schumer.
Schumer added, “When I led the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to passage with an unprecedented $9.5 billion federal investment to expand the hydrogen industry, I had in mind innovative companies like Plug Power in Upstate New York and the potential to create thousands of good paying clean energy jobs in communities that need it most. New York’s powerhouse workforce, top tier research institutions, and easy access to the renewable energy needed to produce green hydrogen makes it uniquely suited to supercharge and lead the federal government’s efforts to secure the nation’s spot as a global leader in clean hydrogen production to power our fight against climate change.”
New York hydrogen hub
The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act gave the Department of Energy $8 billion to establish four or more Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs to demonstrate clean hydrogen production, processing, delivery, storage, and use. The DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has issued two Requests for Information, indicating how critical it is for New York to quickly coordinate the most compelling proposal for a New York-centered Hydrogen Hub.
Additionally, the law makes several new critical investments in hydrogen fuel and clean energy, including a $1 billion investment in a new Department of Energy Electrolyzer demonstration, commercialization, and deployment program to improve the efficiency, durability, and cost of producing clean hydrogen using electrolyzers. Furthermore, a $500 million investment in a new Department of Energy clean hydrogen manufacturing recycling program to promote a domestic clean hydrogen supply chain in the United States.
Senator Schumer has been at the forefront of efforts in New York to expand clean hydrogen production. Senator Schumer made a personal call to Plug Power CEO Andy Marsh in 2020, urging the company to choose Upstate New York over another state that was in contention for the site of its newest factory. Schumer announced in December 2020 that Plug Power had heeded his call and chosen Monroe County as the location for its new ‘gigafactory,’ a hydrogen fuel cell component R&D and manufacturing plant that would bring $125 million and nearly 380 jobs to the Finger Lakes region. The new ‘gigafactory’ will produce hydrogen fuel cell stacks and electrolyzers that will be used to power a variety of electric vehicles as well as generate electricity from renewable green hydrogen.
Schumer also visited the Western NY STAMP site in Genesee county in September and called on the Department of Energy to support Plug Power’s newly proposed plan to build a $290 million hydrogen facility at the site. Plug Power’s new STAMP facility will produce green hydrogen for fuel-cell-powered equipment and vehicles such as freight transportation and logistics handling.
