MACH2 HYDROGEN HUB:
A BOLD PARTNERSHIP FOR OUR CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE
Researchers have increasingly come to believe that hydrogen – the most abundant element in the universe – could be a carbon-free fuel source for the future, powering commercial vehicles, ships, planes, and industry without harming the environment. For that to happen a nationwide network needs to be established.
The Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub (MACH2) – a coalition of states that includes Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania – has been selected as one of 7 national hubs to enter negotiations with the US Department of Energy for an award of up to $750 million for the production, distribution, and consumption of clean hydrogen.
MACH2 GOALS
- Generate clean and predominantly zero-emission green and pink hydrogen.
- Reuse and revitalize significant existing pipeline infrastructure in a formerly industrialized and still densely populated region.
- Create and retain more than 20,000 well-paying jobs, including union jobs, and generate a new talent pipeline in the clean energy sector.
- Provide economic opportunity and health improvements that will directly benefit disadvantaged communities in line with President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative
WHAT IS A HYDROGEN HUB?
Created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program will award up to $7 billion to establish 7 clean hydrogen hubs across the country.
A hydrogen hub is a network of producers, users, distributors, and stakeholders within the hydrogen ecosystem.
Throughout the Mid-Atlantic region – which is home to nearly 4 million people and numerous manufacturing, chemical, and bioscience companies – producers, distributors, and users are not only internally connected via existing pipelines, but also linked via existing regional pipelines to geographic locations beyond the tri-state area.
Success for MACH2 includes
- Leveraging existing technology and infrastructure strengths within the region to generate clean hydrogen.
- Reusing and revitalizing existing pipeline infrastructure.
- Retaining and creating several thousand well-paying jobs through re-training, upskilling, and talent pipeline building.
- Providingeconomic opportunities as well as health improvement for historically underserved communities.
- Positioning for future expansion and connectivity across a broader region and with other hydrogen hubs
BUILDING THE HYDROGEN ECOSYSTEM
MACH2 will take leaders from energy, communications, transportation, labor, and industry, as well as from educational and research institutions, environmental justice organizations, and government offices to drive a successful hydrogen economy.
ENSURING COLLABORATION & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
To ensure effective alignment with community needs and emerging environmental concerns that affect daily lives, MACH2 leaders have begun engaging with regional environmental justice groups to provide information on how the Hydrogen Hub process will unfold, and broad scope initial informational events have begun to take place.
THE NEW CLEAN ENERGY WORKFORCE
Growth in the energy industry is outpacing the skilled workforce needed to meet the demands of employers. In order to meet this need, we must create more jobs and transition workers into the clean energy workforce. This will require dedicated workforce development that mobilizes regional partnerships to provide hands-on training and industry-specific knowledge.
The MACH2 team is poised to train the new energy workforce by mobilizing a coalition of committed stakeholders that includes regional workforce and economic development boards, training and service providers, organized labor, and community and equity advisors as well as educational institutions.
Our focus is the development of equitable and inclusive career pathways ranging from micro-credentialing, stackable credentials, apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeships in addition to 2- and 4-year degrees.
BUILDING THE HYDROGEN ECOSYSTEM
Organized Labor
MACH2 is the only hub that is largely led by organized labor. The MACH2 leadership team is also engaged with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) labor unions across communities to ensure effective reskilling and pathways to hydrogen industry jobs and career opportunities.
Educational Institutions
MACH2 and its educational institution partners – including the University of Delaware, Rowan University, the University of Pennsylvania and the oldest HBCU Cheyney University are actively collaborating to develop relevant educational curricula and training programs for future workers of both mid- and high-skill energy economy positions.
Strategic Alignment
MACH2’s focus on identifying areas of strategic alignment and prioritizing energy sector jobs in need of training together with our workforce development partners and energy sector partners will ensure that we create pathways to well-paying jobs with a focus on historically underserved communities.
Click here to learn more about the MACH2 Hydrogen Hub.