DevelopOhio

A collaboration between officials in Ohio and Michigan could lead to a $1.25 billion grant for a Clean Hydrogen Hub in northern Ohio, the Sandusky Register reports. U.S. House members Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo) and Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) wrote a letter to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm, a former Michigan governor, “asking for her support for the Great Lakes Hub proposal,” according to the article. The Biden administration’s infrastructure bill “had $7 billion to create six to 10 regional clean hydrogen hubs” in the United States; each winner “could receive up to $1.25 billion.” Of 79 preliminary applications to the Department of Energy, Kaptur and Latta’s was one of 33 encouraged to submit a full application. If the Great Lakes Hub is one of those winners, it would serve Ohio, Michigan, and parts of Indiana and Pennsylvania. Kaptur and Latta said the local grant proposal “deserves support because it uses ‘carbon-free nuclear power’ to produce hydrogen,” and that it is important for the DOE to support a hydrogen hub in this region of the Midwest “to address carbon emission reduction targets and create opportunities for meaningful engagement of our citizens in a hub that is destined to grow and connect with other hubs anchoring the nation’s hydrogen economy.” For more, read the full article.

APA Solar Racking will invest “$10 million for equipment and $3.5 million in property” to expand its Henry County operations to add a manufacturing division, The Crescent-News reports. The expansion plans include creating “110 new jobs while retaining 90” current jobs, with payrolls for these positions topping $10 million, according to the article. JobsOhio is providing a $2 million loan and a $250,000 grant for the project; additional funding sources include “a Port Authority loan and Henry County’s revolving loan fund,” the article reports. Henry County Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) Executive Director Jennifer Arps called the plans a “great expansion and growth.” For more, read the full article.

Federal energy policy is making many new incentives available for local governments to fund energy-related assets. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), enacted in 2022, established a set of energy-related asset categories that are now being directly subsidized by the federal government. Under the IRA, nearly any advanced or renewable energy asset constructed by a local government is eligible for some kind of federal cash subsidy. For more, read the full article.