May 2022 Update

Welcome to the first-ever Washington Green Hydrogen Alliance (WGHA) newsletter. As I write this, there is cause for celebration: The first four months of this year brought some big wins for Washington-made green hydrogen and saw the WGHA secure some of our major priorities - steps that will grow Washington State’s green hydrogen economy, create union jobs and help families and businesses benefit from an affordable, Washington-made, zero-carbon fuel source. Those steps include:

• Passing bipartisan legislation, SB 5910 and seeing it signed into law was a major WGHA legislative priority. The legislation will accelerate the availability and use of green hydrogen in the state by, among other key provisions, providing substantial tax exemptions for green electrolytic hydrogen and authorizing municipal utilities and public utility districts to produce, use, sell, and distribute green electrolytic hydrogen. We’re grateful to Senators Carlyle and Hawkins for their bipartisan sponsorship of the legislation and want to thank Representatives Ramel, Abbarno, Dye, and Orcutt for bipartisan support of the bill through the House. We’re grateful to Governor Inslee for signing this legislation into law. I also want to say a special thank you to Dave Warren, WGHA’s Legislative Director, and the entire team at WGHA for their tireless work and expertise that was invaluable in shaping this legislation.

• The state’s new Office of Renewable Fuels. Our priority legislation also established the state’s first-ever Office of Renewable Fuels and invests $1.1 million to build Washington’s renewable fuels leadership.

• Securing $2 million to support the state's role in competing for a $2 billion federal grant from the Department of Energy to develop a regional clean hydrogen hub. The competition will be fierce among the states to be awarded the regional hydrogen hub. States will be awarded the federal money to establish a hydrogen ecosystem that leverages a state's most abundant resources, in Washington’s case, renewable electricity, to build the infrastructure to produce hydrogen as an alternative fuel used in heavy-duty industries and industrial processes, aviation, and transportation. 

• The bipartisan Hydrogen Caucus in the House of Representatives. This new caucus in Olympia will be taking shape over the interim under the leadership of Representatives David Hackney (D-Tukwila) and Peter Abbarno (R-Centralia). We thank them for agreeing to Co-Chair the newly-formed bipartisan Hydrogen Caucus in the House of Representatives.

As we celebrate these victories, it’s also time to look ahead. We are excited to continue to raise awareness about the promise of green hydrogen production in our state and to grow the green hydrogen industry. Shortly, the WGHA will be announcing a green hydrogen education series to inform policymakers and Washingtonians about the opportunity we have to build a carbon-free future in Washington and why the production of green hydrogen is an essential ingredient to this state’s strategy to meet our climate goals. None of this work is possible without the support of the WGHA members and board. On behalf of the WGHA team, thank you for your dedication to our organization and this industry.
 

And thank you to all of you for your work in helping shape Washington’s clean energy future. 

Sincerely,

 Tim Zenk,

Executive Director, Washington Green Hydrogen Alliance

In The News

Cascadia Daily News: “New WA advocacy group pushes 'evergreen hydrogen'

“Several local industrial and energy companies, including Whatcom's utility provider Puget Sound Energy, support a brand-new advocacy organization: the Washington Green Hydrogen Alliance. WGHA, announced Wednesday, works to promote “Evergreen Hydrogen,” fossil-fuel-free energy developed and produced in Washington.” 

Hydrogen Fuel News: “Washington renewable H2 alliance launches evergreen hydrogen as a global brand”

Washington aims to sell clean fuel as a zero-carbon energy source made in the state. This H2 can be used for powering transportation and manufacturing, among other applications. Renewable H2 is produced using freshwater powered by renewable energy such as wind and solar. In this case, the state will use its abundant wind and hydropower sources to power electrolysis, which splits the oxygen and H2 from the water molecules.

H2 View: “Washington Green Hydrogen Alliance launched”

“Washington’s commitment to hydrogen just got a lot bigger with the launch of a new association dedicated to reducing air and water pollution, creating clean energy jobs, and growing the US state into a major hydrogen producer.”

Recharge News: “‘Green hydrogen is now competitive with fossil fuels’ | ArcelorMittal among off-takers at massive 7.4GW project in Spain”

“HyDeal España, a joint venture between Spanish gas grid operator Enagás, ArcelorMittal, Fertiberia, and Spanish project developer DH2 Energy, will begin production of 200,000 tonnes annually by 2026, reaching full capacity by 2030, when it would reduce Spain's annual greenhouse gas emissions by 4%.”

CNBC: Hydrogen generation could become a $1 trillion per year market, Goldman Sachs says

“We need something that takes today’s role of natural gas, especially to manage seasonality and intermittency, and that is hydrogen.” Hydrogen has a diverse range of applications and can be deployed in a wide range of industries.“It’s a very powerful molecule,” DellaVigna said. “We can use it for heavy transport; we can use it for heating, and we can use it for heavy industry.”

Join Us

Want to help ensure families and businesses benefit from an affordable, zero-carbon alternative fuel source made in Washington State? Join us and our effort to make Washington State the country’s top source of green hydrogen for use in transportation, manufacturing, and export worldwide. To learn more, visit https://www.wagreenhydrogen.com/join. 

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