Down River

By John Lipez

An Opportunity:
It was a few decades ago that then-Lock Haven University had a football coach who loved to say the obstacles confronting the struggling Bald Eagle grid program were not a problem but rather an opportunity. It turned out those obstacles were too difficult to overcome and the last we heard the coach was selling yearbooks down south.

Having written that, what do we make of recent word that the KeyState Energy project proposed for West Keating Township has qualified for federal funding? A challenge? An opportunity?

You can read elsewhere in this section about the Hydrogen Hub announced last week for West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Posted word made mention of KeyState Energy, the $1.7 billion project to be situated, the good Lord and the Clean Air Council willing, not far from where Clinton, Centre, Clearfield and Cameron counties almost all come together.

It’s a complex project, all about clean hydrogen and carbon storage, difficult for the lay person to understand, but certainly holds great promise for the Clinton County community if it comes to fruition as the United States trudges along to rid itself of dependence on fossil fuels before they are gone and make the transition to clean energy. And in terms of the environment, in terms of any potential emission problems, it’s hard to find a more rural location than the old Dr. Forney Winner tract in the northwestern corner of Clinton County. Look at the map, there’s virtually nobody in West Keating Township, 16 according to the 2020 census.

The location is well off the beaten path, as opposed to the last natural gas-related project proposed for western Clinton County. That would have been the late Renovo Energy Center project, supported by many local residents but opposed by hardcore environmentalists, led by the Clean Air Council. REC would have been located just across the railroad tracks from the Renovo business and residential community; the KeyState proposal is roughly 25 miles outside Renovo (interestingly only 35 miles as the crow flies from Penn State, where KeyState is relocating its Bellefonte offices).

The reaction to this recent step forward for KeyState has seen mixed initial offerings. Mike Flanagan, President/CEO of the Clinton County Economic Partnership, told The Record,

“Another step forward for Keystone. We know Perry Babb and company have worked hard on this for a few years. There are hurdles to clear, but we look forward to this project becoming a reality.”

And from Joseph Minott, Executive Director and Chief Counsel of Clean Air Council,
“Hydrogen is not the one-size-fits-all fix to our energy needs and the climate crisis, and it could actually make greenhouse gas emissions worse. Hydrogen production is incredibly energy-intensive – even green hydrogen is a much less efficient way for industry to decarbonize compared to using renewable energy directly. Green hydrogen may be able to play a future role in specific end-uses that cannot otherwise be electrified. These massive projects are heavy on government subsidies and greenwashing and light on details. Taxpayers deserve to know more about the proposals and potential impacts.”

Yes, Mr. Minott is right, taxpayers do deserve to know more about the proposals and their impact. And yes, Mr. Flanagan is right, there are hurdles to clear. Flan loves his sports analogies and usually their use is from baseball rather than track. If we asked, he’d probably say the KeyState project is coming out of the clubhouse tunnel and into the dugout.

Through the unfortunate REC debacle, we’ve all learned patience is a necessity. We’ve also learned that environmental zealots will use the system to run out the clock in opposition to these new energy alternative proposals. They stalemated the Renovo Energy in the state bureaucracy until the Bechtel Corporation had no choice but to pull the plug on what would have been a substantial Renovo area economic lifeline.

As we learn more about KeyState and its massive plans, we need to stay patient and vigilant, gathering information that hopefully will quell any Clean Air Council concerns and allow Perry Babb and his team to move forward in a relatively timely manner to provide a boost to the western Clinton County economy while at the same time creating a pathway to a cleaner environment for the United States.