FILE - A 2021 Toyota Prius that runs on a hydrogen fuel cell sits on display at the Denver auto show on Sept. 17, 2021, at Elitch's Gardens in downtown Denver. The White House is set to announce that it has selected the Philadelphia area and West Virginia for two regional hubs to produce and deliver hydrogen fuel, a key part of its clean energy plan, according to a person familiar with the plan.
There were 23 finalists for the $7 billion hydrogen fuel program. Other hubs also were expected to be announced.included billions of dollars for a program to establish six to 10 regional “hydrogen hubs.” The aim is to help industry replace fossil fuels such as coal and oil, which produce planet-warming greenhouse gases, with cleaner-burning hydrogen as an energy source for vehicles, manufacturing and generating electricity.
Nearly every state has joined at least one proposed hub, and many are working together, hoping to reap the economic development and thousands of jobs they would bring. Big fossil fuel companies, renewable energy developers and researchers in university and government labs are involved, too.