(1) The Legislature finds that there is a unique benefit for the state to compete for designation by the United States Department of Energy as a location for a regional clean hydrogen hub. The development of a clean hydrogen hub in the state would provide the potential for significant investments in clean energy production, new infrastructure, and high-paying careers. The Legislature further finds that Nebraska is in a unique position to compete due to its central location, existing clean hydrogen-producing industry, synthetic and biofuels industry, demand for fertilizer used by its large agricultural industry, and railroad and trucking transportation network.

(2)(a) The Department of Economic Development shall create the Nebraska Hydrogen Hub Industry Work Group. The Governor shall appoint members to the work group that include, but are not limited to, representatives from the following sectors: (i) Manufacturing or industry, (ii) agriculture, (iii) transportation, and (iv) energy. The work group may include a representative of a clean hydrogen manufacturer.

(b) The purpose of the work group is to develop and draft a competitive proposal which may be submitted to the United States Department of Energy to be selected as one of the regional clean hydrogen hubs authorized under the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Public Law 117-58.

(c) The Department of Economic Development may contract with private consultants to create the competitive proposal. Specifically, the work group shall determine how to maximize the state’s geographic location to connect a nationwide hydrogen network. Additionally, the work group shall build a plan to make the case for an agricultural-based clean hydrogen hub, expanding the existing eligible purposes.

(3) It is the intent of the Legislature to appropriate two hundred fifty thousand dollars from the General Fund for FY2023-24 and two hundred fifty thousand dollars from the General Fund for FY2024-25 to the Department of Economic Development for the purpose of providing grants to any public power district that serves a majority of the counties in the state to be used for engineering and modeling work to prepare and support the state in competing for one of the United States Department of Energy’s regional clean hydrogen hub designations and associated federal funding.

(4) The Department of Economic Development may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations to carry out the grant program described in subsection (3) of this section.