(The Center Square) – North Dakota is joining Minnesota, Montana and Wisconsin to create a regional clean hybrid hub that will compete with other hubs for federal dollars, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said Wednesday.
The Biden administration announced last week that it was accepting applications for the $7 billion program for regional hubs funded through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The money is part of a larger $8 billion hydrogen hub program, according to a news release from the Biden administration.
The U.S Department of Energy will select six to ten hubs, according to a news release from Burgum. The four-state collaboration will be called the Heartland Hydrogen Hub.
The Energy & Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks is leading the effort, which also includes the state’s tribes, according to Burgum’s office. The National Center for Hydrogen Technology is housed at the research center.
According to the memorandum of understanding, other states could join the hub in the future.
“By bringing together our expertise in agriculture and energy production, we can create a world-class hydrogen hub and do even more as states to feed and fuel the nation and the world,” Burgum said. “We are grateful to these states and their governors for their participation, collaboration and shared interest in American energy production, U.S. energy security, job creation, economic development and environmental stewardship.”
Other states are collaborating on regional hydrogen hubs. Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Utah formed a regional hub in February. Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma announced a regional hub in March.
The hydrogen hubs are part of the Biden administration’s plan for a net-zero carbon economy by 2050, according to the Department of Energy.
