Appalachian Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2)
OCED awarded the Appalachian Hydrogen Hub—also known as the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2), led by Battelle—with $30 million for the first tranche of funding (out of the total project federal cost share of up to $925 million) to begin Phase 1 activities. The Appalachian Hydrogen Hub will help the nation lead in the advancement of the clean hydrogen economy while reducing emissions and pollution that has long affected air quality in Appalachian communities. The Hub intends to reduce CO2 emissions by 9 million metric tons per year—equivalent to the annual emissions of more than 2 million gasoline-powered cars. During Phase 1, which is expected to last up to 36 months, the Appalachian Hydrogen Hub plans to conduct planning, analysis, and design activities in addition to ongoing stakeholder and community engagement across WV, OH, and PA.  

Front-of-the-meter Utilization of Zinc Bromide Energy Storage (FUZES)
OCED awarded the FUZES project, led by NextEra Energy Resources Development, LLC, with nearly $400,000 (of the total project federal cost share of up to $49.1 million) to begin Phase 1 of the project plan. NextEra Energy Resources Development, LLC plans to develop, build, and operate zinc-bromide battery energy storage systems at project sites in Morrow County, OR; Manitowoc County, WI; and LaMoure County, ND. By adding energy storage to these sites, the FUZES project aims to introduce additional renewable energy to Oregon’s grid, improve grid reliability in Wisconsin, and ease challenges of integrating wind and solar power while supporting grid resilience in North Dakota. Each of these energy storage systems would provide a total of 5–10 MW of power for at least 10 hours. The FUZES project would rely on low-cost and abundantly available materials including water, zinc, and bromide. At the end of their working lives, the systems would be fully recyclable. During Phase 1, the project team plans to conduct detailed project planning and engineering design, community and labor engagement, workforce development, and other development activities, and provide input into OCED’s National Environmental Policy Act review.