U.S. Energy Department Unveils Seven Clean Hydrogen Hubs Amid Environmental Concerns and Utility Planning Challenges.

The U.S. Energy Department has announced seven proposed clean hydrogen hubs that will share $7 billion in federal funding to boost the development of a hydrogen fuel industry. Environmentalists have concerns about just how “clean” the whole hydrogen industry will be, but each of the proposed hubs brings together state governments and private interests, with the aim of building demonstration projects showing how hydrogen can be produced and used throughout a region. Utilities need a better plan, but a report has found they still haven’t made adequate plans to achieve their goal, even with federal funding at their disposal. Solar developers, environmental groups, tribal organizations and farmers have developed a framework of best practices for handling land-use issues, while a Chicago-area startup is developing technology to retrofit diesel engines to run on ethanol.