Wisconsin signs memorandum for federal money to hydrogen energy hub

Wisconsin and three other states took a step closer on Wednesday to developing a clean hydrogen hub after Gov. Tony Evers signed an agreement, the governor’s office announced.  

The U.S. Department of Energy announced in late September $7 billion in available funding for clean hydrogen hubs across the county, defined as a network of clean hydrogen producers, consumers and supporting infrastructure in one region. 

Evers signed a memorandum of understanding with the governors of Minnesota, North Dakota and Montana to develop a proposal for a Heartland Hydrogen Hub and apply for federal funding for the project, the memo showed. The Department of Energy wants to select six to 10 hubs across the country, and applications are due by April. 

With the hubs, communities will benefit from clean energy investment, good-paying jobs and improved energy security, and will support the Biden Administration’s goal of a net-zero carbon economy by 2050, federal officials said. 

Wisconsin joined six states on Sept. 19 to form the Midwest Hydrogen Coalition to find more opportunities for hydrogen production and use. The fuel is referred to “clean hydrogen” when its produced in a way that emits little to no greenhouse gases, and state officials said it has the potential to be a key to decarbonizing the local economy.