skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Sunday, February 16, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump administration begins sweeping layoffs with probationary workers, warns of larger cuts to come; NYC music school teachers strike after union negotiations break down; Ohio advocates push for inclusive policies during Black History Month; Health experts recommend sunshine, socializing to cure 'winter blues.'

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Federal workers tasked with securing elections from foreign interference are placed on leave, parents' organizations reject dismantling Dept. of Education, and the Congressional Black Caucus presses discussions on slavery reparations.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural America struggles with opioids and homelessness in unexpected ways, Colorado's Lariat Ditch could help spur local recreation, and book deliveries revive rural communities hit by Hurricane Helene.

Clean energy groups blast PA hydrogen hubs plan

play audio
Play

Monday, October 30, 2023   

Pennsylvania is set to host two regional hydrogen power-generation hubs and experts on clean energy are speaking out against one of them, arguing it will only prolong the state's dependence on natural gas, a fossil fuel.

The feds just announced announced almost $1.7 billion for the hubs to generate, transport and use hydrogen gas, which has applications in steel making, aviation and transportation.

Sean O'Leary, senior researcher at the Ohio River Valley Institute, a think tank focused on job growth and clean energy, noted the ARCH2 hub, with facilities in Appalachia, will produce so-called blue hydrogen.

"Blue hydrogen, which is hydrogen made from natural gas, is still polluting and will soon cost more than genuinely clean hydrogen that's made from water," O'Leary explained. "It further locks our region into a natural-gas industry."

Gov. Josh Shapiro defended the hydrogen hub plan, saying it will create jobs and position Pennsylvania as a leader in the growing hydrogen industry. The Ohio River Valley Institute's Clean Energy Pathway report, released last December, laid out a different vision, to avoid expensive investments in natural gas and carbon capture, instead emphasizing renewable energy such as wind and solar, plus electrification of buildings and the transportation sector, and energy-efficiency programs.

O'Leary argued Pennsylvania policymakers should shift their focus away from fossil fuels and toward a true clean energy transition.

"But leaders in our area have been so distracted by chasing funds on behalf of the natural-gas and coal industries," O'Leary contended. "They haven't paid much attention or devoted much effort to pursuing those funds. That would do a lot more good."

The Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub, known as MACH2, will be based in the Philadelphia region and will produce so-called "green" hydrogen via electrolysis of water and "pink" hydrogen from nuclear sources.

Disclosure: The Ohio River Valley Institute contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy and Priorities, Climate Change/Air Quality, Energy Policy, and Public Lands/Wilderness. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
In 2023, the Biden administration ordered a Bakersfield oil company to remove old oil rigs from Carrizo Plain National Monument in Central California. (Bob Wick/BLM)

Environment

play sound

Groups that fight to protect public lands are criticizing the Trump administration's new review of all oil, gas and mining on public lands. National …


Environment

play sound

This weekend, Virginians will participate with other birders around the world in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Thousands of birding enthusiasts …

Environment

play sound

This weekend, birders across the world, including in Maryland, will participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Thousands of birding enthusiasts …


A new study looking at drought impacts on grasslands found that such lands in China saw a 43% reduction in annual productivity, compared with just a 25% reduction in North America under the same conditions. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Grasslands are considered a vital component of South Dakota's landscape. But on the heels of new research, an expert suggests they might not fare as …

Social Issues

play sound

Minnesota is little less than a year away from launching its paid-leave law, but state lawmakers are debating whether to delay the start until 2027…

In its next contract, the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Program faculty union is looking for "reasonable" class sizes and for teachers to easily access remote learning tools when needed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A New York City music school's faculty is back in the classroom after a weeklong strike. The Manhattan School of Music's Precollege Program faculty …

Social Issues

play sound

A New York bill would require schools to teach about the Jan. 6 insurrection. The bill calls for all K-12 students to be taught about the event…

Health and Wellness

play sound

An Atlanta-based group is making sure more people have access to an unconventional but effective treatment for their moderate mental health challenges…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021