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The Potential for Clean Hydrogen in the Carolinas

By January 11, 2022 3   min read  (534 words)

January 11, 2022 |

Fuel Cells Works, The Potential for Clean Hydrogen in the Carolinas

The Energy Futures Initiative (EFI) hosted two convenings on the Potential for Clean Hydrogen in the Carolinas on October 28 and 29, 2021 from 11:00am-1:00pm ET each day. The purpose was to explore a hydrogen hub concept in North Carolina and South Carolina (“the Carolinas”) and the surrounding regions.

The timing of the gatherings was germane; federal, state, and local policymakers were actively considering infrastructure funding, economic development pathways, and jobs creation tactics in light of the COVID-19 pandemic recovery and longer-term climate change mitigation strategies tied to the Paris Climate Agreement

In principle, a hydrogen hub concept could offer progress on all these fronts: building a future economy while making the best use of existing infrastructure, resources, capabilities, and talent.

The overall goal of the meetings was to explore the extent to which a hydrogen hub concept would be a worthy topic of further exploration in the Carolinas.

The meeting on October 28 consisted of a virtual, public-facing set of moderated panel discussions with the intent to determine regional aspirations for hydrogen, highlight the activities of other model hydrogen hubs currently underway, and explore ongoing and potential actions that could underpin a hydrogen economy in the Carolinas.

The public panel discussion demonstrated that hydrogen is viewed as both a low-carbon pathway and an enabler of economic growth for the Carolinas. The discussion made clear that the Carolinas have significant natural and human resources to support hydrogen market formation.

There are multiple active clean hydrogen projects in the region, as well as a community of firms that are interested in supporting more coordinated hydrogen-based investments. A long-term commitment from policymakers and key stakeholders in the region is seen as a critical next step to coordinate current hydrogen activities and enable a regional hydrogen market.

The second day consisted of a private virtual roundtable of key thought leaders from the Carolinas.

Through a pair of facilitated discussions, participants shared their viewpoints on: regional interest in hydrogen and how this might translate into a hub model; key informational, economic, climate, policy, or other barriers and opportunities; and the collaborations required from local, regional, and federal actors across sectors such as industry, community advocacy, academia, and regulatory entities to further explore hydrogen market formation in the region.

The private roundtable discussion resulted in ten major findings related to the opportunities and challenges of forming a hydrogen market in the Carolinas today, with emphasis on leveraging the region’s existing resources (e.g., solar and nuclear generation, natural gas pipelines and power plants, ports and transportation hubs), capabilities (e.g., academic and industrial research and development [R&D], manufacturing base, logistics and transportation), and interests.

These findings also stressed the importance of stakeholder commitment to developing a hydrogen market in a just, locally appropriate, and cost-efficient manner.

Ernest Moniz, CEO of EFI and the 13th U.S. Secretary of Energy, hosted both convenings.

Participants for both days included executive and senior level representatives from firms actively interested in hydrogen, decarbonization, and economic development in the Carolinas.

These meetings also included organizations that will be critical stakeholders in a hydrogen market for the region.

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