By Leslie Streeter

As announced last week, the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub (PNWH2) project received Phase 1 award status from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to begin initial planning, permitting and analysis activities. Washington State University Tri-Cities will play a key role in this venture. Part of the award will be used to benefit local communities in Washington, Oregon, and Montana and address environmental justice issues.

Kate McAteer, vice chancellor of academic and student affairs

Kate McAteer, vice chancellor of academic and student affairs at WSU Tri-Cities is leading Phase 1 planning of the Community Benefits Plan (CBP) portion of the project with support from the Consortium for Hydrogen and Renewably Generated E-Fuels (CHARGE) based out of WSU Everett, and the Office of Tribal Relations at WSU Pullman.

“WSU Tri-Cities is located in the heart of clean energy efforts in the state. As a campus that serves a significant population of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, we are ready and I, personally, am thrilled to lead the PNWH2 Hub’s effort to advance job equity and energy justice not only locally, but throughout the Pacific Northwest,” said McAteer.

The CBP will be informed and developed in consultation with local communities and tribes, with the goal of reducing potential impacts of the Hub’s efforts and maximizing local community benefits. The CBP aligns with the Federal Justice 40 goals, an initiative to deliver at least 40% of the overall benefits from federal investments in climate and clean energy to disadvantaged communities.

The PNWH2 Hub has eight “nodes”, or project sites, across three states, including one in Richland, Washington led by Atlas Agro and several proposed projects in eastern Oregon.

The PNWH2 Hub project aims to establish the Pacific Northwest as a national benchmark for successful low-carbon intensity and economically viable green hydrogen production. As part of this project, the CBP will engage with communities to define and quantify benefits, avoid disproportionate burdens and closely track and ensure that benefits flow to disadvantaged communities. These benefits could include, but are not limited to, the creation of more than 10,000 quality jobs, reduced emissions and the development of STEM-based education and training programs from K-12 through college to ensure a pipeline of trained and qualified workers to build, then operate and maintain the Hub’s hydrogen projects.

The Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association, a multi-state nonprofit organization focused on creating a robust network of clean hydrogen suppliers and end-users in the Pacific Northwest is sponsoring the project.

Click here for more information about the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub project visit.