Billions in Clean Energy Funding at Risk: Trump Administration Targets Hydrogen Hubs in Pennsylvania
The future of two major clean hydrogen projects in Pennsylvania—the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub (MACH2) in Philadelphia and the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2) in Pittsburgh—now hangs in the balance. According to leaked documents, the Trump administration is considering slashing $1.7 billion in federal funding for these initiatives, which were central to the Biden administration’s climate strategy. But here’s where it gets controversial: these cuts come despite Trump’s public praise for Pennsylvania’s energy projects just months earlier.
This story is part of WHYY’s ongoing climate coverage, where we track how policy shifts impact our region—from the Poconos to the Jersey Shore. Have questions about climate change or ideas for what we should investigate next? Reach out and let us know.
The Projects on the Chopping Block
MACH2 and ARCH2 were among seven national hydrogen hubs selected in 2023 to share $7 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Their mission? To accelerate the transition to clean hydrogen—a fuel that could play a pivotal role in reducing carbon emissions from heavy industries and transportation. But now, they’ve landed on a new list of 300 projects nationwide that the Trump administration may defund, branding them as part of what Budget Director Russell Vought called the 'Green New Scam' in a recent social media post.
Wait—didn’t Trump just endorse these projects? That’s the irony. During a July visit to Pittsburgh, Trump praised Pennsylvania’s energy innovation, even name-dropping the very hubs now at risk. Governor Josh Shapiro’s office called out this contradiction, asking whether the president’s words were genuine or just empty rhetoric. And this is the part most people miss: if funding vanishes, Pennsylvania could lose tens of thousands of jobs tied to these projects.
How the Hubs Work (and Why They Matter)
MACH2, a coalition of businesses and researchers, aims to produce 'green hydrogen' using renewable energy—think wind and solar—instead of fossil fuels. Just before Trump took office, the project secured $750 million in federal backing, with plans to kickstart hydrogen-powered manufacturing and transportation across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. ARCH2, meanwhile, would use fracked natural gas to produce hydrogen while capturing and storing carbon emissions underground—a contentious approach that some environmentalists criticize as a loophole for the fossil fuel industry.
Here’s the twist: While hydrogen itself burns cleanly, most of it today is made from natural gas in a process that emits CO₂. The hubs promised to change that, but now their timelines—and very existence—are in doubt. ARCH2’s $925 million plan, for example, includes 11 projects across Appalachia, with a three-year planning phase already underway.
The Bigger Picture: A Climate Strategy Unraveling?
These cuts are part of a broader $7.5 billion rollback of climate initiatives, framed by the administration as cutting wasteful spending. But critics argue it’s a direct attack on the Biden administration’s net-zero goals. The Department of Energy insists no final decisions have been made, but the uncertainty alone could scare off private investors.
So, what do you think? Is this a prudent fiscal move—or a shortsighted blow to clean energy innovation? Should hydrogen hubs rely on natural gas at all, or is that a betrayal of their climate mission? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
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(Reporting by WHYY’s Climate Desk, with contributions from Allegheny Front’s Reid Frazier.)
