Feds Award $925M For Upper Midwest Hydrogen Fuel Initiative
Minneapolis, MN (KROC-AM News) - The Biden administration is awarded more than $900 million in federal funding to develop a hydrogen-fuel system to serve Minnesota, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota, and Montana.
Xcel Energy says it expects to receive a large portion of the $925 million federal award from the US Department of Energy, which will also be shared by the Marathon Petroleum Corporation and TC Energy in collaboration with the University of North Dakota. The goal is to develop hydrogen production and distribution systems at a commercial scale in all five states.
“Clean fuels are a critical component of enabling economy-wide decarbonization. The Heartland Hydrogen Hub is game-changing initiative that demonstrates how we’re accelerating the development of the next generation of clean energy technology with significant benefits for our customers and the environment,” said Bob Frenzel, Xcel Energy chairman, president and CEO. “The strong partnership with our Upper Midwest states and other energy providers demonstrates our commitment to increasing economic impact while achieving carbon reduction goals for our customers.”
According to the news release, Xcel Energy says it plans to use existing and future nuclear, solar, and wind resources across the upper Midwest to produce hydrogen and use it for power generation, the company's existing natural gas distribution systems, along with agricultural and industrial applications. The utility company estimates the Heartland Hydrogen Hub initiative will create nearly 4,000 jobs throughout the region
The Heartland Hydrogen Hub is one of seven such projects throughout the US to be awarded a portion of $7 billion in federal funds.
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