By California Black Media

Last week, clean energy advocates and industry experts praised a new federal government program that is expected to bring thousands of jobs to California.

As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, a key pillar of Bidenomics — the President’s economic plan — the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) launched the $7 billion Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) program across the nation on Oct. 13.

The program, which creates seven regional hubs in seven states, including California, is expected to be a boon for Black and other minority communities.

It is part of the federal government’s Justice40 initiative, which requires that 40% of the “overall benefits” of the program will be used to invest in marginalized communities and places that have been disproportionately impacted by pollution.

“The seven selected regional clean hydrogen hubs will catalyze more than $40 billion in private investment and create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs – bringing the total public and private investment in hydrogen hubs to nearly $50 billion,” the Biden-Harris administration said in a statement.

The program is designed to accelerate the commercial-scale deployment of low-cost, clean hydrogen — a valuable energy product that can be produced with zero or near-zero carbon emissions and is crucial to meeting Biden’s climate and energy security goals, according to the White House.

“Unlocking the full potential of hydrogen—a versatile fuel that can be made from almost any energy resource in virtually every part of the country—is crucial to achieving Biden’s goal of American industry powered by American clean energy, ensuring less volatility and more affordable energy options for American families and businesses,” stated U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.

“This federal investment is significant because it complements and it unlocks so much private investment and investment from the states,” said Chris Hannan, president of ARCHES partner State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, in a statement.