The Delaware RiverKeeper Network is opposing a proposed hydrogen hub in the Mid-Atlantic region.
President Joe Biden announced plans to award $7 billion to seven hydrogen hubs across the country Friday, including a $750 million investment for one that includes parts of Southeastern Pennsylvania, South New Jersey, and Delaware.
But the Delaware Riverkeeper Network’s Maya van Rossum says they oppose it, arguing the fossil fuel industry has found a way to keep fracking.
“They made huge, heavy investments for many many years," Van Rossum said. "And sadly, politicians fell for it yet again despite the fact that the science and the data and the experience that we have in the real world proves hydrogen hubs are part of the problem.”
Van Rossum says that 96% of the hydrogen produced by these hubs comes from fossil fuels - and some rely on nuclear operations – like the Salem Nuclear Generating Station in New Jersey which is supposed to be on a path to shut down.
"Salem operates on old technology," Van Rossum said. "Old technology that results in the Salem Nuclear Generating Station literally killing over 14 billion Delaware River fish, eggs, and larvae every single year because of the massive amounts of water it uses. And of course, it creates nuclear waste that they don't really have a good solution for what to do with."
The Mid-Atlantic hub plans to use nuclear energy, wind, and gas to run its operations. But Van Rossum says these hubs are a way to keep the fossil fuel industry in business, while dangerously extending the projected life-spans of area nuclear plants, and wasting resources converting wind energy that is already clean.
“It is much more efficient to use our wind energy to directly create power for our homes for our carts for our operations than it is to divert that truly clean energy option to this other dirty industrial operation that is going to have climate changing implications,” Rossum said.
Van Rossum says the hubs are in the design phase and funding will first go to demonstrating how they will be beneficial, so the Riverkeeper Network and others will continue to advocate for what she calls “true” solutions, like wind and solar.
“It’s a $750 million investment to industry for more thought and exploration and planning," she said. "I thought that was what they were supposed to have done on their own dime, but no, now they’re going to do it on the public dime to advance this devastating project.”
Van Rossum argues fossil fuel companies have effectively “hoodwinked” politicians into thinking hydrogen hubs are a step towards clean energy.
