The MachH2 coalition is the result of outstanding effort of numerous public and private partners–including our universities, clean energy developers, transportation companies, manufacturers, and partners in other states–to develop a nation leading clean hydrogen economy in the Midwest. The development of a robust clean hydrogen economy in Illinois will build on our decarbonization efforts in CEJA, particularly in hard to decarbonize sectors, while creating jobs, spurring infrastructure development throughout Illinois, and meeting the environmental justice goals of my administration.

Uniquely situated as The Crossroads of America, Indiana and our neighboring Midwestern coalition states are essential in developing and deploying a robust hydrogen economy. In Indiana, our expertise and leadership in traditional industries and the economy of the future, combined with the ability to incorporate hydrogen into existing and new manufacturing processes, offer outstanding opportunities to support America’s global competitiveness and our nation’s workforce.

The Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen is a bold project to reduce air pollution and CO2 emissions from industry and transportation through deployment of clean hydrogen. Through partnerships with Michigan partners like the American Center for Mobility, Flint MTA, and the Port of Detroit, MachH2 will create good-paying jobs and reduce air pollution and CO2 emissions, helping Michigan deliver on our Healthy Climate Plan goals.

We must transition to more sustainable, cleaner fuels and forms of energy if we hope to pass on a livable planet to our kids and grandkids. In passing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, I pushed for funding to support the future of a clean energy economy… With so many expert Illinois organizations collaborating on MachH2, I am confident that this Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub proposal will make for a sound investment for the Department of Energy. Hydrogen promises to play a critical role in decarbonizing the transportation sector, and MachH2 demonstrates that Illinois stands ready to deliver on that promise.

With Illinois’s robust array of thought leaders, world-class institutions and innovative laboratories, it only makes sense that our great state should be home to the Midwestern Hydrogen hub. Illinois’s leadership in clean energy combined with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s clean energy provisions is a recipe for positive change to our energy economy and a better protected environment for years to come.

The MachH2 Regional Hydrogen Hub will serve to further solidify Illinois’ status as a national clean energy leader. Our state’s unrivaled capacity for generating zero-emission nuclear power, coupled with MachH2’s suite of innovators, business leaders and institutions across sectors, makes Illinois an ideal match to carry out the goals set out by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

This proposal from the Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen is a great step in clean energy innovation and decarbonizing our economy. I was proud to vote to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and allocate funding to the Department of Energy to build a clean hydrogen network, an essential part to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Illinois is especially equipped to assist in the clean energy transition, as we are home to so many innovators and leaders in the field. In addition to improving our environment, I’m happy to see that this hub will also focus on community engagement and job creation for Illinoisans.

The Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program, created through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, follows through on investing in the energy infrastructure that our communities and future generations deserver. Our central location, National Labs, universities, industrial infrastructure and trained workforce make Illinois and the Midwest an ideal location to demonstrate how hydrogen can play a part in the clean energy economy of tomorrow.

MachH2’s plan to develop a hydrogen hub in Illinois presents an exciting opportunity for our community to take an active role in the transition to clean energy. By leveraging the resources provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, this initiative will bolster our nation’s efforts to combat climate change while creating high-quality jobs right in our backyard.

Illinois is home to a robust nuclear energy sector and is a leader in renewable energy resources, As our nation navigates growing energy challenges, Illinois will play a critical role in supporting an all-of-the-above energy approach that restores American energy independence and strengthens our economy. With strong collaboration from many of Illinois’ leading institutions, MachH2 would make an excellent choice for the Department of Energy’s Midwestern Clean Hydrogen Hub.

I voted for the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act specifically because I was confident it would spur investment and innovation from thought leaders around the country. I am pleased that MachH2 has brought together so many experts who embraced that challenge and have announced their hydrogen hub proposal. Our region is home to an abundance of clean energy making it a prime location for the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub. Investments like this one will pay dividends in the future as they make our planet safer and healthier.

The state of Illinois is uniquely positioned to set the national standard for clean hydrogen production and distribution thanks to our access to an abundance of leading hydrogen experts. The vast hydrogen brain trust within Illinois is exactly the reason I co-sponsored Illinois’ Hydrogen Economy Act in order to ensure that our state is collaboratively working with these experts and organizations to help put us in the best and most competitive place to create a regional hydrogen hub.

This project could be a game-changer for the state, helping to create new jobs and economic development as this industry grows and expands. Illinois can and should be a leader in new and innovative industries like this, so that we can continue to compete and grow in an increasingly complex global economy.

This hydrogen hub project provides an exciting opportunity to create and sustain high-paying jobs throughout east-central Illinois and to move our state and the nation toward a cleaner, more reliable energy future. I am particularly delighted to see so many coalition partners united in support of this project, representing the public and private sectors, higher education institutions and so many leaders who are on the forefront of clean energy.

By embracing 21st century energy infrastructure, we can create good-paying jobs and protect our planet for future generations. The MachH2 Regional Hydrogen Hub will support American energy and economic independence – and build on Illinois’ leadership in renewable energy innovation.