President Biden promotes creation of clean hydrogen hubs in Philadelphia visit
PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) -- President Joe Biden visited Philadelphia to promote seven regional clean hydrogen hubs as part of his administration's efforts to combat climate change. The hubs will receive $750 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding.
Biden's visit to the city Friday is part of his Investing in America Tour. The visit is part of the third installment of his tour across the nation.
"Hydrogen can power industries like the production of steel and aluminum," Biden said. "And it's going to end up changing our transportation systems, like trucks, rail and planes.
Biden and U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm announced seven regional clean hydrogen hubs that they claim will accelerate the domestic market for low-cost, clean hydrogen. It's part of Biden's mission to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
The White House said clean hydrogen helps the U.S. reduce emissions while creating jobs and building healthier communities.
"As a clean fuel, hydrogen complements the role played by other clean energy sources, like wind and solar, to help the U.S. reduce emissions in energy-intensive sectors of the economy: steel and cement production, heavy-duty transportation, and shipping,'' the White House said in a statement.
The infrastructure law Biden signed in 2021 included billions of dollars to develop so-called clean hydrogen, a technology that industry and clean-energy advocates have long pushed as a way to reduce planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions produced by fossil fuels.
The Mid-Atlantic Hydrogen Hub will be in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
Watch President Biden's full press conference below.
The other hubs include the Appalachian Hydrogen Hub -- which includes Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio -- California Hydrogen Hub, Gulf Coast Hydrogen Hub, Heartland Hydrogen Hub, Midwest Hydrogen Hub and Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub.
The White House claims MACH2 will create more than 20,000 jobs but not everyone is backing the plan. Some environmentalists call hydrogen a false solution because it frequently relies on natural gas or other fossil fuels as feedstocks.
"This is an inappropriate diversion of precious government dollars and resources that should be invested in growing a true clean energy future," Maya van Rossum said.
Van Rossum with the Delaware Riverkeepers Network argues fossil fuels are often used in the production of hydrogen. She's also concerned about the environmental impact of the sites and their locations.
"To be plopping this kind of dangerous, polluting, industrial operation in such a highly residential community is in and of itself a concern for our human communities," she said.
State leaders lined up with Biden to support the hubs. Governor Josh Shapiro called it a win for Philly and Pennsylvania.
"He has selected the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to be the center of the clean energy universe going forward," Shapiro said.
The reason Shapiro said that is because Pennsylvania will be the only state with two of these hydrogen hubs.
A second was approved for Western Pennsylvania. The White House said the goal is to have the seven hubs combined producing three million metric tons of clean hydrogen per year.
Energy companies say fossil fuels can serve as feedstocks if the projects capture the carbon dioxide produced and keep it out of the atmosphere, a technology that has yet to be produced at commercial scale.
Biden's visit to Philadelphia on Friday will be his eighth this year and has made the city a regular stop for both official and campaign events, and partners in the proposed Philly-area hub have labor unions that are key Biden supporters.
The president was last in the city on Labor Day, where he celebrated unions and job creation under his administration at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 19 office off Columbus Boulevard.
The president is running for reelection in the Democratic primary.