A bipartisan group of Legislators in California is asking the Trump administration to preserve $ 1.2 billion in federal funds for a hydrogen energy project to help uncover the State with planet heating fossil fuels.
The action follows the reports in The Times and other news organizations that the administration is about to define almost 300 energy department projects throughout the country, including four of the seven “Hydrogen Centers”. ”
Among them is Arches, or the California alliance for renewable clean hydrogen energy systems, which the Biden administration granted $ 1.2 billion in federal funds as part of a national effort to develop hydrogen energy. Arches also plans to bring $ 11.2 billion of private investors.
In a letter to the Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, dated Monday, legislators said that Arches “plays a fundamental role in obtaining the domain of US energy, advancing in world leading energy technology, creating new manufacturing jobs and reducing energy costs for US families.”
The letter was signed by 47 of the 52 representatives of the State Congress, including four Republicans: representatives link Fong (R-Bakersfield), David Valadao (R-Hanford), Jay Obernolte (R-Big Bear Lake) and Young Kim (R -anaheim Hills). Several of the concentrator sites were planned for the central valley on the right of the State.
It was also signed by the two American Democratic senators of the State, Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla.
The letter follows the reports that Arches is on the budget cutting list of the Energy Department along with hundreds of other projects aimed at climate friendly initiatives.
In response to its dissemination, Doe said the agency was making a review throughout the department and warned of “false lists.” The Trump administration has generally favored the development of fossil fuels on clean energy.
A draft of the list that circulates in Capitol Hill and reviewed by The Times indicates that approximately 80% of the projects that lose funds are in states that did not vote for Trump in the presidential elections of 2024, including the four hydrogen centers.
In addition to California, they include a middle Atlantic center, a center of the northwest of the Pacific and the center of the west medium, all of which mainly cover “blue” states that tend to vote for the Democrats. Other three other hydrogen centers in the red states and regions of Republican Tumbos: Texas, Appalachia and a “heart” center in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, shows the list.
Hydrogen is a promising energy source that produces water vapor instead of carbon dioxide such as its byproduct, which according to the proponents could be used to feed industries that are difficult to disseminate-discarding such as steel production, manufacturing and transport.
In their letter, legislators described the arches as a “strategic investment in American energy innovation” and pointed out that the projects that derive from it would disperse throughout the state, including efforts to decarbonize the ports of Long Beach, Los Angeles and Oakland by replacing the load management equipment with loading motor with hydrogen hydrogen.
“The investment is already being used to gather private industry, local governments and community organizations to collaborate and build a safe and American energy future,” the representatives wrote, and added that Arches anticipates the creation of 220,000 jobs.
The letter was headed by the representative George Whitesides (D-Sweet Agua), whose district includes Lancaster, the first city to join Arches when announced, with multiple projects planned in the area.
“The bipartisan support for the arches shown in this letter underlines its importance for California and La Nación,” Whitesides wrote in a statement. “I urge Doe to support this crucial program and preserve its funds, which expands our workforce and economic opportunity.”
Potential cuts occur as the Trump administration continues to attack environmental programs in California and throughout the country in what officials say is an effort to relieve regulatory costs, lower taxes and “unleash US energy.”
However, democratic experts said that planned cuts seem to be partisan, particularly because the Central California was the applicant for the highest score among more than 30 projects considered for the Federal Program of $ 7 billion. Its $ 1.2 billion award also coincided with that of Texas, a network center center that was safe from the cuts.
The seven hydrogen centers were expected to produce 3 million metric tons of hydrogen annually and reduce 25 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, an amount approximately equivalent to that of 5.5 million cars with gasoline.
“We see the arches as a strategic investment in American energy innovation, a total energy strategy and energy independence and competitiveness,” says the letter. “With that, we respectfully request to continue supporting arches and provide time for California Hub and its member organizations to further justify their vital role in fulfilling the administration's energy objectives.”
