LINCOLN- While Nebraska officials were disappointed at being passed over for a billion-dollar “hydrogen hub” grant, they said the two-year application process strengthened regional alliances and positions the state for other opportunities. Two companies that would have benefited from the federal funding — Monolith of Hallam, and Project Meadowlark of Gothenburg — both said the rejection won’t stop their expansion plans, though the dollars could have accelerated or improved them.

“It’s unfortunate,” State Sen. Bruce Bostelman, chair of the Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee, said following news that a Nebraska-Iowa-Missouri partnership was not among seven regional hubs selected to share $7 billion in funding from the Department of Energy. “But it was time well spent,” the Brainard lawmaker said. “They learned a lot going through the process.”

Courtney Dentlinger is spokeswoman for the Nebraska Public Power District, which spearheaded the tri-state request for the Mid-Continent Clean Hydrogen Hub. She foresees other funding opportunities to bolster the area’s hydrogen and clean energy industry, and anticipates that new alliances formed and information learned will assist future efforts.

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