All the attention is on the 2024 election. But Biden is behind the scenes making wild moves.
And Joe Biden just signed an unholy and unexpected deal with California Governor Gavin Newsom.
U.S. Department of Energy Commits $12.6 Billion to California Hydrogen Hub
In a groundbreaking initiative, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has signed a $12.6 billion agreement to establish a clean, renewable hydrogen hub in California. This landmark deal, announced on Wednesday, represents a significant step in advancing the state’s renewable energy infrastructure.
Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the DOE will contribute $1.2 billion to the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES), with the remaining $11.4 billion being sourced from public and private matching funds. This initiative has garnered strong support from Democratic politicians, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and Senator Alex Padilla.
“I was proud to help secure $1.2 billion of federal investments through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to build a hydrogen hub right here in California,” said Senator Padilla. “California is leading the nation with the first hydrogen hub to sign a cooperative agreement, and we will continue to lead by decarbonizing goods movement, the energy sector, and heavy industry.”
However, the project faces criticism regarding the practicality and cost-effectiveness of clean hydrogen technology. Critics point to the high production costs and the challenges in scaling the technology effectively. Currently, hydrogen produced using natural gas costs approximately $1.50 per kilogram, while clean hydrogen costs around $5.00 or more per kilogram, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The production of clean hydrogen requires significant energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. As a result, producers may need to rely on the electric grid as a power source, raising concerns about the overall environmental impact. Clean energy advocates, such as Vestas and Intersect, argue for regulatory measures to ensure that the emissions from electricity consumption do not negate the benefits of renewable hydrogen production.
The $1.2 billion federal funding from the DOE represents about 17% of the $7 billion allocated for clean hydrogen projects under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This law, passed in November 2021, has earmarked $70 billion for clean-energy technology and demonstration projects. However, only 18% ($218 billion) of the $1.2 trillion package is dedicated to traditional infrastructure like roads, bridges, railroads, airports, and ports, as reported by Newsweek in 2021.
The establishment of this hydrogen hub marks a significant milestone in California’s efforts to lead the nation in renewable energy and decarbonization, despite the challenges and criticisms surrounding clean hydrogen technology.
A "green hydrogen" power plant is essentially an energy-wasting machine placed between a renewable energy source and an energy consumer.
— Daniel Bleakley (@DanielBleakley) February 11, 2023
Ironically, Newsom and the Biden teams are facing criticism from within their own Democrat circles, specifically the “progressive” wings, for the potential impact on the local environment for fracking for hydrogen.
Outlet “Progressing California” suggests that the immense impact that the resource gathering for the hydrogen needed for this energy effort isn’t worth the risk.
Is California going to go all in on the gas fracking needed for industrial-scale hydrogen? It'll be fascinating to see that conflict as the NetZero grifters run afoul of reality. https://t.co/dL64QbIwe8
— Progressing California (@ProgressingCali) July 18, 2024
Meanwhile, those on the Right continue to be confused as to why the Democrats are doing everything they can to ignore the potential that nuclear energy has to make the United States the dominant force and producer of clean and highly efficient energy in the world.
Some believe that the Left is only using so-called “green” policies and bills as a trojan horse for extreme socialist and Marxist economic policies to control the American people.
Stay tuned to Prudent Politics for more.
