Nicor Gas applauds Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen’s selection as a regional clean hydrogen hub

NAPERVILLE, IL – October 16, 2023 – On Friday, the Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen (MachH2) announced it had been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) to develop a regional clean hydrogen production and distribution hub (H2Hub), funded under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The H2Hubs will accelerate the commercial-scale deployment of clean hydrogen—helping generate clean, dispatchable power, create a new form of energy storage, and decarbonize heavy industry and transportation. Nicor Gas has been a proud alliance member of MachH2 since its announcement last year.

“It's an exciting time for the Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen, Nicor Gas and all of the alliance partners who have remained committed to bringing a clean hydrogen hub to the Midwest,” said Wendell Dallas, president and CEO, Nicor Gas. “At Nicor Gas, we believe that hydrogen has the potential to play a critical role in reaching a clean energy, net zero future. Our expertise in pipeline infrastructure can play an important role in transporting it, reducing emissions and creating jobs for our communities.”

Made up of more than 70 public and private entities representing every phase in the hydrogen value chain, MachH2 members are united in a shared vision to create an immediately scalable hydrogen hub in the Midwest that deploys the region’s abundant carbon-free energy to create a clean hydrogen economy and reduce emissions across multiple heavy emitting sectors. A list of alliance members is available here.

When made with clean energy, hydrogen is an essential resource in meeting our nation’s goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. As an energy source, hydrogen does not emit carbon and can be used to reduce emissions from multiple hard-to-abate sectors of the economy, including steelmaking, manufacturing, aviation, agriculture, and long-haul transportation, among others.

MachH2 submitted its full application to the DOE in April of this year. The hub anticipates the award negotiation period with the DOE to begin in the Winter of 2023-2024.