WASHINGTON (WV News) — The developers of the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub, also known ARCH2, are waiting to find out if the project will receive a portion of $7 billion in funding through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations.

If selected, ARCH2 could be one of the six to 10 regional clean hydrogen hubs across America developed through the DOE program.

Clean hydrogen hubs will create networks of hydrogen producers, consumers and local connective infrastructure to accelerate the use of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier that can deliver or store tremendous amounts of energy, according to the DOE.

ARCH 2, a public/private partnership between the state and several leading energy production companies, submitted its full application to the DOE in April.

DOE has said it will announce the projects selected for award negotiations this fall.

There’s always the possibility ARCH2 won’t be selected at all, but stakeholders are optimistic about its chances, according to West Virginia Economic Development Secretary Mitch Carmichael.

“Our application process started out with 47 applications with many states involved. It was whittled down to 36 and we were in that group. Then it was whittled down to 12 and the expectation is that as many eight to nine will be funded,” he said. “So we feel very good about our opportunities here.”

The West Virginia Hydrogen Hub Working Group was launched in February 2022 to foster the creation of a hydrogen industry in the Mountain State.

Its members include U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito and Gov. Jim Justice.

Capito and Manchin each released statements supporting ARCH2’s DOE application.

“West Virginians are immensely proud of our long history as America’s energy powerhouse, and I am thrilled the Mountain State is continuing to pursue that legacy as the home of a regional clean hydrogen hub,” Manchin said. “With ARCH2’s submission to the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program, I am confident the Department of Energy will conclude there is nowhere better suited to host the growth of this industry than the Appalachian region.”

“West Virginia is uniquely positioned to host a regional clean hydrogen hub, and I am confident it would make a tremendous impact in our communities, further strengthen our energy sector and continue the proud tradition of energy generation in our state,” said Capito, R-W.Va..

Arria Hines, prime partner of ARCH 2, has said the development of a regional hydrogen industry “won’t happen overnight” but could have big potential for West Virginia in the decades to come.

“It’s multiple facilities. It’s not just one thing. It’s a hub,” she said. “In this hydrogen economy, we’re going to build on the workforce that we currently have that we know are used to working in very safety-conscious, high-risk areas such as coal and natural gas.”