While elected officials throughout the state continue to tout the “hydrogen hub” designation as a sign that Lewis County sits on the forefront of a new, green energy frontier, a packed house at the Baw Faw Grange Monday night was the latest sign that some remain skeptical.
“We’re trying to figure out everything about it, because the last thing we want to do is be accused of having a knee-jerk reaction,” Lewis County Commissioner Lindsey Pollock said. “We don’t want to fall into the trap of ‘oh, they just say no to everything.’ We’re going to need to hear a little bit about what is going on, and then have focused concerns.”
For roughly an hour and a half, attendees voiced concerns, among other things, over the cost of a proposed hydrogen plant and the potential need for energy and other resources, and the economic benefit to the county, as preparations for a $400 million to $600 million hydrogen plant in Centralia continue.
“There are so many things going on here. The hydrogen hub that we have been able to get, in part, is because of the Climate Commitment Act (CCA), the transition in transportation that we’re going to see, the training in training people to take these new jobs,” Gov. Jay Inslee said during a recent visit
to Centralia College. “It’s hitting on all cylinders, so I cannot be more excited.”
Billed as an “informational meeting” in Curtis, Pollock was joined by Lewis County Public Utility District (PUD) Commissioner Mike Hadaller and former PUD manager Dave Muller.
As planning continues, Hadaller has been a frequent critic of the project, writing in a Aug. 23 letter to the editor, the “only replacement” for the power provided to the new facility “will be far more costly and that cost will be paid directly by our ratepayers.” The letter sparked a response from a fellow PUD commissioner, who said Hadaller’s opinion was not necessarily representative of the PUD commission as a whole.
On Monday, Hadaller said the project would not increase the PUD’s rates.
“We have it straight from our new manager (David Plotz)’s mouth that it will not affect our rates as citizens,” Hadaller said. “We will make sure that whatever Fortescue does, they will pay for themselves and it will come out of their pockets and not out of any of ours.”
The reassurance, though, did not quell Pollock’s concerns, who said those who receive power from Puget Sound Energy could be impacted by the facility.
“I don’t know how, exactly, how that would happen in terms of with our utilities and transportation commission,” Pollock said. “But you know that if you’re starting to get those bursts, your power rates are going to have to reflect it. There’s no free lunch.”
During her presentation, Pollock claimed the hydrogen plant at TransAlta would create between 35 and 60 jobs, which she said would be “highly specialized, technical jobs.”
“If you’re looking at a $300 to $600 million plant and 35 jobs, that’s a pretty high cost per job,” Pollock said. “Meanwhile, have you tried to hire a plumber or an electrician recently? We have folks in this county who are primed to be doing that because we have a lot of hard-working folks who are really good with their hands … Those are the things we should be talking about.”
In announcing the designation, officials said that the Pacific Northwest’s plan includes approximately 10,000 new direct jobs at full build-out of the projects, with Gov. Jay Inslee adding a prioritization in the process would be given to union jobs.
“Frankly, people don’t think of Lewis County as the origin of great, high technology,” Inslee said during his visit. “They need to understand, that is what is happening. And it’s happening because of you and this team really showing local leadership.”
The Economic Alliance of Lewis County and Lewis County Transit will hold a forum on the “The Economics of Clean Energy” from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 5 at Centralia College. According to an event flyer, the forum will provide information on how the county will benefit from the “emerging clean energy economy.”
On multiple occasions, Pollock said the event would present another opportunity to voice concerns over the project.
However, not everyone attending the Baw Faw Grange on Monday was skeptical about the potential for hydrogen and what the infusion of funding will mean for Lewis County.
“It’s not just jobs. It’s not just taxes. But it’s also the ancillary investments that will come,” Centralia Mayor Kelly Smith Johnston said. “And I think that will be a great place to come to ask questions, get more information.”
From Johnston’s perspective, society is “in the middle of a transformation around energy.”
“The supply is changing. We know that TransAlta is coming off our grid. And we know that demand is increasing,” Johnston said. “So, in that time, it seems like we’re being quite innovative, which is where wind and solar is coming from. And hydrogen is another form of innovation in energy.”
During her remarks, Johnston touted hydrogen’s “emerging market” as the country shifts to greener, renewable energy sources. While new technologies may require subsidies, Johnston said, Moore’s Law dictates they will become cheaper and more efficient overtime.
“So, if we don’t go with hydrogen, how would you propose addressing some of the energy needs and figuring out the innovation we need for energy, without hydrogen?” Johnston asked Pollock. “Where would you look for that?”
According to Pollock and some attendees, though, the technology is not fully developed.
“The question is do we want to put all of our eggs in the hydrogen basket … or do we want to keep a watch on where the technology is going and invest accordingly,” Pollock said.
Pollock voiced skepticism over the Department of Energy’s (DOE) “hydrogen shot,” a plan to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen to $1 per kilogram by 2031. According to Pollock, the electricity and other costs used in the process make the goal unfeasible.
“I’d be surprised to find out how you can do a $1 per kilogram of hydrogen when even our ultra-cheap power in the Pacific Northwest cannot reach that level,” Pollock said.
In December, the DOE released a report that showed hydrogen could be reduced to $1.30 per kilogram through technology advancements. The report also explored the potential for other cost-saving mechanisms.
“One of the things I’ve been asking of Fortescue, all along, is where are you going to get the electricity?” Pollock said of the energy required for the project. “We’re still waiting for that answer.”
