Pacific Hydrogen Alliance

The Pacific Hydrogen Alliance comprises the H2 Twin Cities 2022 awardees, the first cohort chosen in a global competition of cities by the U.S. Department of Energy and Clean Energy Ministerial. The City of Lancaster, California, and Namie Town in Japan will mentor the County of Hawai’i, Hawaii, on developing and deploying hydrogen energy solutions at the municipal level. The partners have agreed on 5-year goals and an action plan to advance decarbonization with hydrogen. PHA members openly share each municipality’s challenges and update each other on new developments in hydrogen production, storage, distribution, and end-use projects. The Pacific connects us all - we strive to bridge our economies and cultures through clean energy in this Alliance.

Our Mission

We are proud to share the collective vision of PHA—for the benefit of the planet, economy, and our people, we will develop, procure, and use as much green H2 as possible for multiple uses while providing access to green hydrogen to our diverse communities on a just and equitable basis.

Our Priorities & Goals

  1. Personal Impact on Citizens

  2. Hydrogen Infrastructure

  3. Environmental Benefits

Our municipalities represent diverse geographies, demographics, economic drivers, and levels of hydrogen deployment. From Lancaster in the high desert (population 180,000), to the tropical County of Hawai‘i in the central Pacific (population 200,000), to the seaside town Namie in northern Japan (population 15,000 / residents 2,000), we are quite different. Our industrial bases and potential demand for hydrogen vary widely, greatly influencing hydrogen deployment choices.

  • By promoting hydrogen energy sectors and attracting new projects, the PHA will actively expand direct employment. This is especially important for Namie, where the population has suffered from displacement due to the 2011 nuclear accident. Jobs will provide incentives for displaced townspeople to return. For Lancaster and the County of Hawai‘i, engagement with community partners such as the higher education system, labor and original equipment manufacturers will directly promote workforce training.

  • Namie envisions establishing a balanced growth as the population continues to recover their residency population. Lancaster or the County of Hawai‘i will aid Namie’s equitable and inclusive development goals by setting examples based on their own experiences and case studies. The collaborating municipalities will pay attention to underserved communities to ensure that everyone feels safe, heard, respected, valued and will maintain a high level of transparency and accessibility.

  • Hydrogen has wide-reaching benefits with the potential to improve air quality by reducing greenhouse gas emission and to provide a secure and reliable energy source. On our road to carbon neutrality for all, each municipality must ensure that no subset of the population reaches the goal post faster than another. Through the interactions among participants thus far, we are already sharing a checklist of environmental justice considerations. Together, we will hold each other responsible to the goal of environmental justice for all.

Why Hydrogen?

Hydrogen as an energy solution is quickly accelerating progress that will be critical to the global achievement of net zero by mid-century. The ability to share knowledge, networks, and strategies will be integral to adopting