Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma will submit a formal application to the Department of Energy for funding of their regional hydrogen hub, reports The Center Square.
The state’s governors announced in March they were forming a partnership called the HALO Hydrogen Hub in hopes of securing millions in grants for developing, producing and using clean hydrogen for fuel and manufacturing feedstock.
The partners pitched their concept to the DOE, which encouraged them to submit a full application. The hydrogen hub could receive up to $1.25 billion of the $7 billion included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Six to 10 hubs could be funded, according to a joint news release from the governors of Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt says the three states share the same goals in creating a hydrogen economy and Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says they have already invested in hydrogen hub components.
“HALO states already have a healthy infrastructure in place that is actively delivering the raw materials to our industrial base, which is in turn making use of that hydrogen feedstock—next steps will be making sure all that hydrogen becomes low-carbon and making it more available and accepted as a major energy source,” Edwards says.
Applications are due by April 7. Awards are scheduled for fall 2023. Read more about the hub from The Center Square.
