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The Southwest Clean Hydrogen Innovation Network (SHINe) is submitting a full proposal for the development of the Desert Southwest Clean Hydrogen Center. This comes after the network submitted a concept paper in November 2022 and an incentive from the US Department of Energy in December 2022.

SHINe is one of 33 applicants encouraged to move forward in the proposal process, selected from an original 79. The US DOE plans to fund six to 10 regional centers.

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The entire proposal calls for federal funding to support critical clean hydrogen-focused initiatives. DOE funding will facilitate a successful regional hub that creates an ecosystem to economically produce, store, transport, and use clean hydrogen and provides multiple economic, environmental, and societal benefits.

SHINe’s integrated efforts to create and support innovative energy solutions and build the workforce to support the Southwest’s transition to clean energy are key to achieving energy diversity, flexibility and equity and a secure, resilient and sustainable energy ecosystem.

We have assembled a collaborative and supportive team from industry, government, utilities, universities, local communities, tribes and more. An unprecedented level of collaboration and integration is critical to ensuring our success. Our broad-based alliance is poised to bring together the resources, talent, projects and infrastructure needed to launch a new clean hydrogen industry for SHINE, which will bring economic, environmental and energy justice benefits to the region. Center for Arizona’s Carbon-Neutral Economy. The center is housed in the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Lab at Arizona State University.

SHINe includes more than 40 member organizations across the professions and current affairs, including cities, clean energy companies, gas companies, non-profit organizations, transportation companies, universities, utilities and others. The network has the support of both the Nevada and Arizona governors’ offices and US senators.

The network is working to support DOE’s vision of a regional clean hydrogen hub for clean energy and feedstocks to reduce carbon emissions in the transportation, mining, industrial and electric sectors while maintaining a secure and resilient energy system. Also, SHINe aims to make a significant positive impact in the Southwest region through human resource development, environmental and economic justice efforts, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

“Organized operations like the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers play a critical role in Arizona’s hydrogen economy and energy transition to reduce carbon emissions,” said Boiler 627 Business Manager Jacob Evenson. Local rural communities and good-paying jobs for Arizonans. Community-based workforce agreements ensure that our payer dollars stay in the Arizona economy and that we don’t send our dollars out of state to pay the same job standards, the same employee benefits, or the broader market wage. Planned projects with these criteria should be given high priority.

Nevada and Arizona have unique energy ecosystems with geological resources and transportation routes that support favorable conditions for the clean hydrogen market. These include strategic access to critical transportation routes for energy supply; Geological resources to store large amounts of salt at low cost; and to integrate existing infrastructure and pipelines with other renewables.

These features give the region the opportunity to meet energy demand and export it to larger markets via major interstates, rail and pipelines.

“Arizona’s modern transportation network and strategic Southwest location, as well as our number one manufacturing growth rate, position us to be a pioneer in the clean hydrogen ecosystem,” said Arizona Commerce Authority President and CEO Sandra Watson. “We look forward to continuing to work closely with our partners in the region to advance clean energy solutions.”

Beyond renewable energy innovation, a cornerstone of SHINE’s Clean Hydrogen Hub strategy is focused on developing responsible energy infrastructure for communities that need it most, ensuring that all stakeholders have opportunities for disadvantaged communities to participate in planning, decision-making, and robust community benefit planning. Sound in pure energy transfer.

DOE is expected to select awardees this summer. For more information, visit the Southwest Clean Hydrogen Innovation Network.