Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma Hydrogen Partnership Encouraged to Submit Full Application for Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Program

Today, Govs. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, John Bel Edwards of Louisiana and J. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma announced that the United States Department of Energy (DOE) has encouraged the HALO Hydrogen Hub to submit a Full Application for the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Program, allocated through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The three governors?established the HALO Hub, a bipartisan, three-state partnership between Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma, in March of 2022 to compete for funding outlined in IIJA.

The program will appropriate up to $7 billion to DOE to develop six to 10 regional clean hydrogen hubs demonstrating the production, processing, delivery, storage, and end-use of clean hydrogen. DOE’s ultimate goal is to create a network of clean hydrogen producers, potential consumers and connective infrastructure located in close proximity that ultimately intersects and remains sustainable after DOE grants expire.

The DOE application process includes two phases – the first of which was an initial broad concept pitch, due to DOE in early November. Following an independent assessment of the various broad proposals, DOE encouraged the HALO Hub to enter the second phase by submitting a Full Application to receive up to $1.25 billion in federal funding.

“We are excited to partner with our neighbors in Louisiana and Oklahoma to put forward a winning application. Arkansas has a growing and diverse energy portfolio and natural resources that are vital to any successful regional hub. We are proud of our partners and companies in Arkansas that are leading the way to develop demand for low-carbon hydrogen and showing that hydrogen can be commercially viable,” explained Governor Hutchinson.

“Expansion of hydrogen production and use is tailor-made for the HALO states because there has already been investment and work in the component parts of potential hydrogen hubs, but we can now have a focal point that unifies the efforts of the three states,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “HALO states already have a healthy infrastructure in place that is actively delivering the raw materials to our industrial base, which is in turn making use of that hydrogen feedstock – next steps will be making sure all that hydrogen becomes low-carbon and making it more available and accepted as a major energy source.”

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