Governor Wolf Highlights Legacy of Support for Manufacturing, Declares Pennsylvania Well Positioned to Lead Nation’s Clean Energy Transition

Governor Tom Wolf joined industry leaders and stakeholders today at the Pittsburgh Manufacturing Summit to highlight his legacy of supporting manufacturing in Pennsylvania and how that support along with the wealth of resources natural resources put Pennsylvania at the forefront of the United States’ clean energy transition.

“Pennsylvania’s smoke and steel have helped build many of our country’s most iconic and ambitious projects – the Golden Gate Bridge, the Empire State Building and the Hoover Dam among them,” said the Governor Wolf. “And now our industrial strength, abundant natural resources and powerful workforce have the opportunity to lead the country in a transition to a clean energy ecosystem, including greater reliance on clean hydrogen and carbon sequestration and storage.

In Pennsylvania, manufacturing is big business. It employs nearly 10% of Pennsylvania’s workforce and accounts for 11.42% of economic output. Since Governor Wolf took office in 2015 and immediately prioritized his support for even stronger industry, the economic output of manufacturing in Pennsylvania has grown from $85 billion in 2016 to more than 92 billion dollars in 2021.

To ensure this key sector remains strong in the future, the Governor is working with a diverse coalition of energy, labor, and state and local leaders to develop the public-private partnerships needed to meet the challenges of decarbonization and ensure that our manufacturers and the industry will continue to be competitive in a 21^st economy of the century.

Through President Joe Biden’s bipartisan Infrastructure Act, $8 billion is available to support four regional clean hydrogen centers to expand the use of clean hydrogen in the industrial sector. The Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs initiative is part of the Biden administration’s broad work to create jobs by expanding the use of clean hydrogen to accelerate the decarbonization of the industrial sector.

Governor Wolf confirmed his intention to ensure Pennsylvania is competitive in pursuing DOE investments in a regional clean hydrogen center earlier today. This effort will ensure the creation of clean energy jobs in Pennsylvania, while supporting the Biden administration’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85% by 2050.

At the Pittsburgh Manufacturing Summit today, Governor Wolf recognized significant industry and stakeholder support and partnerships received to make Pennsylvania a leader in clean hydrogen development and competitive for BIL-authorized federal energy-related funding.

“The support and enthusiasm we’ve received from the industry has been overwhelming, and it’s critical to our ability to have a seat at the table and compete for these upcoming opportunities,” Governor Wolf said. “The introduction of a regional clean hydrogen center in the Commonwealth will also bring new jobs and economic growth, it will help reduce emissions, protect us from the growing dangers of climate change and improve the quality of life of all Pennsylvanians.”

The Department of Energy expects applications for funding to open later this summer. Over the coming months, Pennsylvania will work with stakeholders to lead the way in decarbonizing the industrial sector with a focus on deploying clean hydrogen and carbon capture, utilization and storage technologies ( CCUS) and will work together to ensure that the Department of Energy invests in Pennsylvania.