The Trucker: Officials celebrate $1.2 billion investment in California’s ARCHES Hydrogen Hub
By Dana Guthrie
U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Department of Energy Under Secretary for Infrastructure David Crane and state leaders celebrated the official launch of the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES) hydrogen hub at an in-person event showcasing hydrogen-powered transportation on Friday.
“California has led the nation with ambitious, innovative goals to combat the climate crisis, and today, we’re showcasing the promise of California’s renewable hydrogen-powered future,” Padilla said. “From the ports to our state’s population centers, to our rural communities, ARCHES will catalyze the clean hydrogen economy in California. I’m glad to have partnered with the Biden-Harris Administration to secure over $1 billion for ARCHES as we take a major step toward achieving our state’s ambitious carbon neutrality goals.”
According to a media release, the event highlighted the potential for hydrogen-related transportation infrastructure in the region after Padilla secured up to $1.2 billion for the hub from the Department of Energy to facilitate the production and utilization of renewable, clean hydrogen across California. The group received a tour of critical hydrogen projects at the Port of Oakland, and Padilla rode the world’s first entirely hydrogen-powered ferry and a hydrogen fuel cell bus.
“California is building more, faster to accelerate clean energy projects, cut pollution, and deliver good jobs — and we’re doing it at a scale unmatched in America,” Newsom said. “Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration, our first-in-the-nation hydrogen hub is quickly becoming reality.”
The release noted that the transformative investment in ARCHES from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will significantly advance clean hydrogen projects across California, reducing the state’s reliance on fossil fuels and driving toward California’s goal of a carbon-neutral economy by 2045. ARCHES is a public-private partnership that aims to establish a renewable, clean hydrogen market and ecosystem in California by 2030, creating a projected 220,000 jobs in the state, decarbonizing some of our hardest to reach industries, and reducing harmful downstream emissions that disproportionately impact underserved communities.
“Clean hydrogen is the ‘Swiss Army Knife’ of energy technologies and a solution to decarbonizing the industries we cannot live without,” said Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. “President Biden and Vice President Harris have developed a modern, industrial strategy to build a clean hydrogen industry here at home—with California and the ARCHES Hydrogen Hub leading the way.”
The ARCHES hydrogen hub will:
Prioritize improving clean hydrogen viability in some of the most challenging industries to decarbonize — including ports, power, and heavy-duty transportation.
Work to implement hydrogen fuel usage in the aviation, maritime, and agriculture industries, among others.
Aim to make the cost of clean hydrogen in California cheaper than diesel and other traditional fuels by 2030.
Create a national model for workforce development.
“Today’s launch marks a transformative moment for California’s clean energy future,” said Angelina Galiteva, CEO, ARCHES. “ARCHES is excited and honored to accelerate California’s hydrogen journey, driving innovative projects that will not only establish a thriving clean hydrogen ecosystem but also enable us to decarbonize all sectors of the economy while creating lasting economic, air quality, and environmental benefits for all Californians.”
According to the release, California’s roadmap to carbon neutrality by 2045 includes a projected 1,700-fold increase in the use of hydrogen across multiple industrial sectors. ARCHES will help meet this ambitious goal by bringing together over 400 organizations across California representing state, county, and city governments; industry; community groups; universities; labor unions; non-governmental organizations; and national labs to accelerate clean hydrogen’s market viability and decarbonize California’s economy.
“As everyone saw first-hand today, California continues to demonstrate its leadership and innovation in proving out new technologies within the clean energy economy,” said Dee Dee Myers, GO-Biz director and senior advisor to Newsom and founding ARCHES board member. “We could not be more excited about the future of renewable hydrogen in our state — a future that will see the decarbonization of our economy along with the creation of green jobs and sustainable business at scale for decades to come.”
Earlier this year, Padilla and Representative Barbara Lee toured hydrogen projects at the Port of Oakland alongside leadership from the Port and ARCHES. In 2023, Padilla and the late Senator Dianne Feinstein sent a letter to Granholm urging the Department of Energy to support the ARCHES clean hydrogen hub proposal as part of its Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program. During a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing, Padilla highlighted the effectiveness of California’s Low-Carbon Fuel Standards (LCFS) program in investing in clean hydrogen production for zero-emissions vehicles and called for the implementation of a similar national program to reduce emissions.
Additionally, Padilla announced $15 million for Alameda-Contra Costa (AC) Transit’s program last month to expand their hydrogen bus fleet with a Low- and No-Emission Grant from the Department of Transportation. He also secured $1.8 million for AC Transit’s East Oakland Maintenance Facility Safety Upgrades in the bipartisan FY 2024 appropriations package.
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