COVER STORY
There’s more to clean energy than wind and solar power.
Here in Illinois, we’re working to lay the foundations for a new “hydrogen economy,” which will use our existing infrastructure to create carbon-free hydrogen fuels that will power industrial processes and heavy-duty vehicles. As a member of the Illinois House’s Hydrogen TaskForce, I have been participating in meetings and hearings with representatives from companies that use and produce hydrogen, to find ways that Illinois can support this important emerging technology.
We took a strong step forward with the Hydrogen Fuel Replacement Tax Credit Act, which I sponsored. I’m very proud that the bill was passed by both chambers and is heading to Governor Pritzker’s desk. The bill creates an income tax credit of $1 per kilogram of eligible zero-carbon hydrogen used by eligible taxpayers. This tax credit is intended to leverage hundreds of millions in federal dollars to establish a hydrogen energy research and production hub in Illinois.
The Illinois-based Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen, or MachH2, is among more than 30 contenders seeking
funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program, which will invest $7 billion in six to 10 regional hydrogen hubs across the country. Each will be aimed at producing and distributing pure hydrogen that is thus far in short supply. The coalition behind the Illinois bid includes universities, utilities, economic development
agencies, manufacturers, Argonne National Laboratory, and power producers such as Constellation Energy and Invenergy, which has launched its own pilot program to produce hydrogen in Illinois.
As we move toward a carbon-free energy economy, we’re going to be hearing more and more about the importance of hydrogen. So if you have a minute and want to learn more about the Hydrogen Task Force and what we’re doing to make Illinois a leader in the hydrogen economy, please click here.
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