{"id":2257442,"date":"2024-06-01T12:36:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-01T16:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/appalachian-groups-call-for-hydrogen-hub-pause\/"},"modified":"2024-06-01T12:42:53","modified_gmt":"2024-06-01T16:42:53","slug":"appalachian-groups-call-for-hydrogen-hub-pause","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/appalachian-groups-call-for-hydrogen-hub-pause\/","title":{"rendered":"Appalachian organizations urge pause on hydrogen hub"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fappalachian-groups-call-for-hydrogen-hub-pause%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2257442&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A coalition of \u200cenvironmental and community groups, led \u200dby the Ohio River Valley Institute, \u200ddemands transparency and public\u2063 engagement before proceeding \u200bwith\u200d the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub project. Criticisms\u2063 include\u200b insufficient information,\u2064 lack\u200d of community input, \u200dand environmental \u2064concerns. The group urges a halt to negotiations until public demands for disclosure\u200b and involvement are met.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>(The Center Square) \u2014 As the federal government lines up billions of dollars to build out hydrogen hubs, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-ag-paxton-not-backing-down-on-2020-election-audits\/\" title=\"Texas AG Paxton not backing down on 2020 election audits\">multi-state coalition<\/a> sent a letter to the Department of Energy demanding a halt to the Appalachian project until officials are more transparent with the public.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI really can\u2019t stress just how few safeguards there are on this,\u201d Tom Torres, hydrogen campaign coordinator with the Ohio River Valley Institute and author of the letter, said. \u201cIt\u2019s incumbent on policymakers to ask some really tough questions about what are valuable investments, what people in the region deserve, and what are alternative pathways of development that can give people a much better return on investment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The institute and 53 other environmental and community groups <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/DOE-ARCH2-petition-1.pdf\">argued in their letter<\/a><\/strong> that the department has offered \u201cscant public information\u201d about the planned Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2) that would create a hydrogen-based network of production and manufacturing based using the region\u2019s natural gas.<\/p>\n<p>The group criticized the department for giving the public \u201cno substantive opportunity to shape this proposal while negotiations continue behind closed doors\u201d and accused officials of advancing the hub with little regard for community opposition or the impact of pollution.<\/p>\n<p>The hub will be <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/ohio\/article_364d1756-6c49-11ee-943d-33232ec28e65.html\">concentrated in West Virginia<\/a><\/strong>, but stretch into Ohio, Pennsylvania and Kentucky, supported by almost $1 billion of federal funds. Further state-specific funds or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-to-return-to-full-employment-next-year-if-congress-passes-1-9-trillion-relief-bill-yellen\/\" title=\"US to Return to Full Employment Next Year if Congress Passes .9 Trillion Relief Bill: Yellen\">tax credits<\/a> could also come into play.<\/p>\n<p>Before the hub planning goes further, environmental groups want a pause and rethink.<\/p>\n<p>The letter asks for more public disclosure of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-kevin-mccarthy-biden-white-house-likes-high-gas-prices-whole-plan-all-about-green-new-deal\/\" title=\"Exclusive \u2014 Kevin McCarthy: Biden White House Likes High Gas Prices, \u2018Whole Plan All About Green New Deal\u2019\">project information<\/a> with details about operations, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/governors-say-no-way-to-biden-plans-to-empower-pro-china-health-organization\/\" title=\"Governors Say \u2018No Way\u2019 to Biden Plans To Empower Pro-China Health Organization\">public health impacts<\/a> and government subsidies; more public engagement that allows citizens \u201creal decision-making during the negotiation process;\u201d and suspending hub negotiations until those demands are met.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt beggars belief for us to think that the federal government has allocated nearly a billion dollars to a project \u2014 and there\u2019s no substantive outline of planned operations, locations, timelines, pipeline infrastructure, that there isn\u2019t something on the table,\u201d Torres said. <\/p>\n<p>Getting a pause on the project, though, may be an uphill battle. Though some Senate Democrats in Pennsylvania have worried about the hubs <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_8cc442b2-92d2-11ee-a90e-73a596591568.html\">serving as a handout to private industry<\/a><\/strong>, Republicans have <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_663ec31c-729b-11ee-9a06-9be019880365.html\">embraced the hubs<\/a><\/strong> as a way forward, economically and environmentally.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. Sen. Bob Casey has also been <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.casey.senate.gov\/news\/releases\/casey-pushes-for-changes-to-proposed-hydrogen-production-tax-credit\">supportive of the hub<\/a><\/strong>, urging President Biden to ensure that federal hydrogen tax credits would apply to natural gas and coal mine methane in Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n<p>Industry leaders, including the Marcellus Shale Coalition, argued a pause on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cannot-power-the-world-with-solar-panels-and-wind-turbines-alone-bipartisan-lawmakers-advocate-for-increased-nuclear-energy\/\" title=\"\u2018Cannot Power The World With Solar Panels And Wind Turbines Alone\u2019: Bipartisan Lawmakers Advocate For Increased Nuclear Energy\">hydrogen hub<\/a> would be foolish.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHalting Appalachia\u2019s hydrogen hub aspirations is short-sighted and ignores the tremendous promise the hub holds for our region\u2019s economic and environmental progress,\u201d Dave Callahan, president of the coalition, said. \u201cPennsylvania boasts the nation\u2019s cleanest natural gas resources, a prime feedstock for hydrogen production crucial in decarbonizing vital economic sectors and scaling the low-carbon fuel across the nation.<\/p>\n<p>The development of one or more approved hydrogen hubs in the Commonwealth presents another generational opportunity to use our resource-driven competitive advantage to secure a prosperous and sustainable energy future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Though much has been said of the economic potential of hydrogen hubs, a key part of their emissions-mitigation strategy has been as yet unproven.<\/p>\n<p>Carbon capture, where carbon-dioxide emissions would be stored underground rather than released into the atmosphere, has been a much-heralded part of the hubs. But critics warn that they <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_e9942bda-18ec-11ed-b295-ef4ed77683e8.html\">depend on taxpayer subsidies<\/a><\/strong>. Even advocates admit that carbon capture <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_5f85e74c-5970-11ee-8828-3b8caa02731c.html\">\u201cwould heavily depend on support from the federal government.\u201d<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A coalition of states demands transparency from the Department of Energy before proceeding with the Appalachian hydrogen hub project. Concerns over insufficient safeguards prompt the call for a pause, despite federal funding being allocated for hub development<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2257443,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/energy-department-1024x591.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2257442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/energy-department-1024x591.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2257442","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2257442"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2257442\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2257443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2257442"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2257442"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2257442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}