HARRISON COUNTY, Ohio (WTRF) — Appalachia may become a center for future clean hydrogen projects.
Today, the Department of Energy announced they’ve selected West Virginia and six other Appalachian states for a 925 million dollar hydrogen hub.
The West Virginia Hydrogen Hub Coalition had been campaigning for a year and a half before the DOE announced the decision.
The facility is expected to create thousands of jobs, and a portion of them will be in West Virginia.
The funds will come from the bipartisan infrastructure law passed last year.
The hydrogen hub is expected to have a huge impact on the Ohio Valley.
Several local communities will be the sites of the Appalachian Regional Hub.
7News anchor DK Wright spoke with a Harrison County commissioner today, October 13.
Follansbee and Hopedale will be local sites of the so-called “production nodes.”
The Appalachian Hydrogen Hub will have locations in West Virginia, southeast Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
This hub alone is expected to create 18,000 construction jobs and 3,000 permanent jobs.
Harrison County Commissioner Paul Coffland is hopeful that Ohio Valley residents can fill those jobs.
“Our high schools and vocational schools and trade schools have really started to tailor their curriculum towards some of the oil and gas industry jobs. So hopefully we’re gonna be able to feed that pipline and provide those jobs here locally.”
Paul Coffland | Harrison County Commissioner
Coffland said he’s glad to see this happening, and he looks forward to hearing more details soon.
The Appalachian Hydrogen Hub will be one of seven nationwide.
Officials say it can prevent 25 million tons of carbon from going into the atmosphere every year.
