Today the Department of 能源 (DOE) announced the first round of awardees for the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (“H2Hubs”) program, 一个多年, multi-billion-dollar initiative passed as part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and 517888九五至尊娱乐 Act (IIJA). According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, hydrogen can valuably contribute to the 清洁 energy transition, but only if it is produced and used in ways that are truly climate-aligned. 如果不是, hydrogen risks increasing environmental- and 健康-harming pollution, 教唆企业“漂绿”, 阻碍清洁能源的发展.
以下是……的声明 朱莉·麦克纳马拉, the deputy policy director of the 617888九五至尊娱乐 and 能源 Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
“考虑到投资的规模, 雄心壮志, and geographic reach of the H2Hubs program, the federal government holds enormous sway over the future direction of the hydrogen industry—with serious implications for climate, 健康, 正义岌岌可危.
“关于, today’s H2Hubs announcement advances multiple projects premised on fossil fuel-based hydrogen production and risky hydrogen end uses. Billions of taxpayer dollars are at risk of perpetuating fossil fuel industry in只是ices and harms while subsidizing fossil fuel greenwashing. This is an untenable point of focus for funds intended to spur the buildout of our 清洁 energy future.
“Today’s announcement also sets in stark relief the significance of upcoming administration decisions around implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act's hydrogen production tax credit, which could be a bulwark against heavily polluting hydrogen—or a backdoor subsidizing it.
“The Department of 能源 and the Biden Administration now must set rigorous implementation, 评价, and engagement criteria to ensure the development of a hydrogen industry that is unequivocally aligned with our climate objectives and that serves our collective goal to secure a safe, 清洁, 只是, 为所有人创造健康的未来.
“As the H2Hubs program moves forward, the administration must correct for the persistent lack of transparency that has clouded the program to date, severely hindering public engagement and undermining project accountability. 这种情况必须改变.”