42 U.S.C. § 16161a — Regional clean hydrogen hubs

(a) Definition — A "regional clean hydrogen hub" means a network of clean hydrogen producers, potential users, and connecting infrastructure, all located close together. (b) Establishment of program — The Secretary must set up a program supporting at least four regional clean hydrogen hubs that (1) clearly help meet the clean hydrogen production standard developed under section 16166(a); (2) demonstrate producing, processing, delivering, storing, and using clean hydrogen; and (3) can grow into a national clean hydrogen network. (c) Selection of regional clean hydrogen hubs — (1) No later than 180 days after November 15, 2021, the Secretary had to ask for hub proposals. (2) No later than one year after the proposal deadline, the Secretary had to pick at least four hubs. (3) The Secretary picks hubs using these criteria, as much as practical: (A) Feedstock diversity — at least one hub each demonstrating hydrogen from (i) fossil fuels, (ii) renewable energy, and (iii) nuclear energy. (B) End-use diversity — at least one hub each demonstrating hydrogen used in (i) electric power generation, (ii) industry, (iii) residential and commercial heating, and (iv) transportation. (C) Geographic diversity — as much as practical, each hub (i) is in a different region of the U.S. and (ii) uses energy resources that are plentiful in that region. (D) Hubs in natural gas-producing regions — at least two hubs should be located where the U.S. has the most natural gas resources. (E) Employment — the Secretary favors hubs likely to create the most skilled training and long-term jobs for people in the region. (F) Additional criteria — the Secretary may also weigh other factors the Secretary judges necessary or appropriate. (4) Funding of regional clean hydrogen hubs — the Secretary may give grants to each selected hub to speed up commercialization and demonstrate producing, processing, delivering, storing, and using clean hydrogen. (d) Authorization of appropriations — Congress authorized $8,000,000,000 for the Secretary to carry out this section, for fiscal years 2022 through 2026 combined.