On December 4, Sen. Katie Muth (D-Chester), chair of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee, joined Sen. Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester), Democratic Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, to co-host a public hearing on the proposed development of hydrogen infrastructure in Pennsylvania.

The hearing, held at the East Vincent Township Building in Spring City, Chester County focused on potential environmental impacts, community safety implications, and the various risks and challenges associated with the development and reliance on hydrogen as an energy source.

“No matter what energy source we are talking about, public health and safety must be the first and primary consideration in any development. Pennsylvania residents deserve a safe and healthy place to live, and all levels of government have an obligation to protect the public, not enhance the profits of corporations,” Sen. Muth said.

“Many questions remain unanswered regarding how the public’s money will be spent on these proposed concepts involving hydrogen energy. Further, yesterday’s hearing showed us that Pennsylvania does not have the necessary regulations or laws in place to protect residents from harm by the current fossil fuel energy operations.

“We need decision makers to include emergency responders and the public in any plans that will impact their lives and livelihoods and ensure transparency regarding how the people’s money is being spent.

“We need climate action and public protections, not another harmful human experiment that only benefits fossil fuel corporations who already get massive subsidies via taxpayer dollars and continue to loot and pollute our state,” said Sen. Muth.

In October, President Joe Biden announced seven regional clean hydrogen hub projects, including two at least partially in Pennsylvania, would receive $7 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to accelerate the domestic market for low-cost, clean hydrogen across the country.

“Hydrogen hubs are coming and hydrogen may be part of our clean-energy transition, especially in hard-to-decarbonize sectors. However, any approach, including hydrogen, must meet environmental, economic, sustainability, environmental justice, and public health and safety standards,” Sen. Comitta said. “Yesterday’s hearing shed light on these and other factors when it comes to the role of hydrogen in transitioning from emissions and building a clean energy economy.”

The two prospective hydrogen hubs in Pennsylvania include the Mid-Atlantic Hydrogen Hub (MACH2) based in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey which was awarded up to $750 million.

The second project,  the Appalachian Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2) was awarded up to $925 million and is proposed in West Virginia, Ohio and Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Both hydrogen hubs currently are in Phase 1 of the H2Hubs program, the detailed planning phase, and are estimated to stay there for 12 to 18 months.

"This hearing raised significant safety concerns about using existing pipeline infrastructure for hydrogen distribution in Pennsylvania and exposed the fossil fuel industry's intent to use hydrogen as a distraction tactic to delay our transition to renewable energy,” Senator Tim Kearney (D-Delaware) added. “We need to focus all of our attention on the most safe and cost-effective solutions for decarbonizing our economy."

According to testimony submitted by MACH2, the MACH2 hub is proposed to include 77-82% green hydrogen projects with the balance being 15-20% pink hydrogen powered by nuclear energy and one proposed orange hydrogen project utilizing methane emissions currently being flared from the City of Philadelphia wastewater treatment facility.

They indicated that MACH2 will not include any fossil fuels.

“If implemented safely and correctly, green hydrogen technology has the potential to be an important part of our clean-energy transition for hard-to-decarbonize sectors like steel and cement manufacturing, long-haul transportation, and aviation,” said Rep. Danielle Friel Otten (D-Chester). “But without adequate regulatory requirements, oversight, or scrutiny, hydrogen production also has the potential to increase carbon dioxide and methane emissions, jeopardize our clean groundwater supply, and endanger our communities. We need to establish a responsible and forward-thinking regulatory framework that prioritizes public health, safety, and consumer protection and positions our commonwealth as a true leader in the clean-energy landscape.”

Green hydrogen, which will be the focus of MACH2, is when the energy used to power electrolysis comes from renewable sources like wind, water or solar.

Blue hydrogen, which will be generated at ARCH2, is hydrogen produced from natural gas with a process of steam methane reforming, where natural gas is mixed with very hot steam and a catalyst.

Participants in the hearing included Nick Cohen, President & CEO, Doral Renewables;  Dr. Robert Howarth, Professor of Ecology & Environmental Biology, Cornell University; Tammy Murphy, Advocacy Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania; Megan McDonough, Pennsylvania State Director, Food and Water Watch; Sean O’Leary, Senior Researcher, Ohio River Valley Institute; and Karen Feridun, founder, Better Path Coalition. 

In addition to the participants in yesterday’s hearing, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, the Team Pennsylvania Foundation, and MACH2 each provided written testimony to the Committee.

Click Here for a video of the hearing and submitted testimony.

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Dec. 2 to 8 -- 9 Abandoned Conventional Wells; Failure To Restore Shale Gas Pad; No Progress In Spill Cleanups  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - December 9  [PaEN]

-- DEP Sets Jan. 23 Hearing On Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Frazer Compressor Station In Chester County  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 68 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In December 9 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

Related Articles:

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Senate Republican Leaders Urge DEP To Withdraw Environmental Justice Policy Saying They Lack Statutory Authority, And Out-of-State Groups Not Actual Residents Express EJ Concerns  [PaEN]

-- PA Business Report: Senate Republicans Urge DEP To Withdraw Updated Environmental Justice Policy

-- DEP Expects $44 Million To Plug Conventional Wells Leaking Methane; $76 Million For 2nd Year Of Federal Conventional Abandoned Well Plugging Program  [PaEN]

-- DEP Plugs 132 Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells So Far;  DEP Issued 499 NOVs For New Conventional Well Abandonments So Far In 2023  [PaEN]

-- Roulette Oil & Gas LLC Withdraws Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well Application In Potter County  [PaEN]

-- Independent Fiscal Office Reports 3rd Quarter Natural Gas Production Down 0.5% Over 3rd Quarter 2022, But Increased Over Last 12 Months  [PaEN]

-- PA Senate Hearing Focuses On Minimizing Risk And Harm In Development Of PA’s Hydrogen Infrastructure  [PaEN]

-- House Environmental Committee To Hold Dec. 11 Hearing On Bill To Expand Renewable Energy Mandates In Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards  [PaEN]

-- Hydrogen Tax Credit Changes, Riparian Buffers, Light Pollution On House Environmental Committee Agenda For Dec. 13  [PaEN]

-- PennEnvironment, Three Rivers Waterkeeper Sue Styropek USA To Stop Plastic Pollution In Raccoon Creek, Ohio River In Beaver County  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission: Low Stream Flows Trigger Shutdown Of 4 Shale Gas Drilling Water Withdrawals In Bradford, Tioga County  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- TribLive: MAX Environmental Yukon Hazardous Waste Landfill Could Pay $275,000 To Settle Pollution Claims In Class Action Lawsuit By Residents  [75% Of Waste Comes From Shale Gas Industry]

-- TribLive: Natural Gas Smell Causes Evacuation At Plum Boro Middle School, Allegheny County  [Plum Boro Natural Gas Home Explosion Killed 6 People In August] 

-- The Derrick Editorial: Reliable Power Means Shoring Up Natural Gas Infrastructure

-- EQT Joins The Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter To Reduce Methane Emissions

-- TribLive: Murrysville Council OKs Lease For Gas, Oil Rights Under 2 Public Parks

-- Scranton Times: Landfill Gas Processing Plant Holds Public Information Session In Throop About Storing Carbon Dioxide Deep Underground

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Concerns Grow Over Perceived Viability Of Hydrogen Hubs

-- PA Capital-Star: Hydrogen Hubs Face Scrutiny At PA Senate Dems Hearing

-- Williamsport Sun Guest Essay: Hydrogen Hubs Won’t Create Jobs - By Commonwealth Foundation

-- TribLive: Rain Fails To Ease Concerns Over Falling Water Level At Beaver Run Reservoir In Westmoreland

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: PA May See Biggest Drop In Decade For New Shale Gas Wells

-- TribLive: Southwest PA Enjoying Low Natural Gas Prices After Large Drop From Last Year

-- Tribune-Democrat: Peoples Gas Says Credit Offsets 149% Natural Gas Price Hike

-- Interfaith Partners For The Chesapeake Bay: Dec. 7 Screening Of ‘A Plastic Wave’ - How To Reduce Your Plastic Waste, 7:00 p.m.

-- The Allegheny Front: Lawsuit Claims Ohio Approvals To Frack State Lands Violated Law

-- Inside Climate News: Massachusetts Public Utilities Agency Sets Framework For Reducing Natural Gas Use For Heating

-- Inside Climate News: From Fracked Gas In PA To Toxic Waste In Texas, Tracking Vinyl Chloride Production In The US

-- Bloomberg: Europe’s Winter Natural Gas Price Slump Shifts Focus To Summer Storage

[Posted: December 6, 2023]

12/11/2023