Trump is shattering Pennsylvania's dreams of becoming a leader in hydrogen energy

Progress on both of the state’s planned hydrogen hubs ground to a halt after Trump took office.

1 minute read

October 15, 2026, 6:00 AM PDT

By Zachary Whalen


Aerial footage of the Hydrogen Power Plant in Fusina, Venice, Italy, highlighting its sustainable technology and industrial landscape.

ARCH2’s ribbon-cutting of its new Program Office in Morgantown, West Virginia. | rafaelnlins

In 2023, Pennsylvania was ready to become a leader in hydrogen energy. The state had plans for two hydrogen-producing hubs: the Mid Atlantic Regional Hydrogen Hub and the Appalachian Hydrogen Hub. Gov. Josh Shapiro promised these hubs would “ensure Pennsylvania continues to be an energy leader for decades to come,” Rebecca McCarthy writes for Inside Climate News. Three years later, both projects' momentum has fallen victim to the Trump administration.

“ARCH2 has gone totally dark, with former partners denying involvement or stonewalling media requests, and MACH2 has entered a holding pattern. Experts with knowledge of the hubs say that the federal government has been playing a game of ‘will they, won’t they’—changing their minds from week to week,” Inside Climate News reports.

Potential partners are hesitant to invest in the hubs without certainty that the government will fund them, leaving their progress at a standstill. Tom Torres, chief of staff at the Ohio River Valley Institute, a think tank focused on Appalachia, told Inside Climate News that he didn’t currently believe the hubs were getting any closer to completion.

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 in Inside Climate News

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