The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 earmarks $8 billion for a fleet of regional hydrogen hubs. There are already efforts in Harrisburg to designate one such hub in Southeastern Pennsylvania, and earlier this year, a group of natural gas, petrochemical, and steel companies announced a hydrogen hub project here in the Ohio River Valley.
Natural gas contains methane, which can be used to produce hydrogen energy. These proposed projects would require additional natural gas drilling and fracking, retrofitted carbon capture technology, and a sprawling network of pipelines for transportation.
A panel of Western Pennsylvania leaders and energy and economic experts explained the hub’s potential impact on Western Pennsylvania’s economy, environment, and carbon emissions.
Panelists included:
- Event Sponsor Erika Strassburger, Pittsburgh City Council Member
- Event Sponsor Sara Innamorato, Pennsylvania State Representative
- Sean O’Leary, Senior Researcher at the Ohio River Valley Institute
- Suzanne Mattei, Energy Policy Analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis
- David Schlissel, Director of Resource Planning Analysis at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis
- Rachel Fakhry, Natural Resources Defense Council Lead for Hydrogen and Energy Innovation
- Steven Feit, Staff Attorney with the Climate and Energy Program at the Center for International Environmental Law
- Dr. Shanti Gamper-Rabindran, Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and the Department of Economics at the University of Pittsburgh
This event was recorded on April 21, 2022.