Hampton Roads, Virginia Tech Receive $1.4 Million Grant for Green Energy

HAMPTON ROADS, VIRGINIA – (MARCH 24, 2023) – Governor Glenn Youngkin announced today more than $1.4 million in Growth and Opportunity for Virginia (GO Virginia) grant awards are coming to Hampton Roads for a demonstration site for clean energy transition to green hydrogen.

The cities of Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach will work with the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center (VTCRC) to scale-up the clean energy industry in Hampton Roads through green hydrogen production. The project will initiate three to five hydrogen transition projects to drive local industry investments, establish a hydrogen competency center to educate and attract businesses and create advanced workforce and talent programs to support the clean energy sector. The project will create 230 jobs, attract 10 new businesses, and serve 25 existing businesses.

This project addresses the vital need for energy resiliency to support business retention and future economic development capacity. The team leading this project have identified opportunities and technology to introduce production of hydrogen locally to provide more supply to support the regional natural gas infrastructure.

“We look forward to working with the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, participating localities and other invested stakeholders across economic development, energy utilities, hydrogen industry suppliers and regional consumers to create a new industry sub-sector around clean energy in the Hampton Roads region” – Douglas L. Smith, President and CEO, Hampton Roads Alliance.

In 2020 the Alliance, with the assistance of another GO Virginia Grant, stood up the region’s first supply chain attraction and diversification program for the burgeoning offshore wind industry. Matt Smith, Director of that initiative, has helped place the region on the map as a location of choice for renewable energy and, in conjunction with the Governor’s 2022 Energy Plan, expanded the Alliance’s work to include additional forms of energy. “When Virginia Tech approached us to be a part of this initiative we jumped at the chance” said Matt Smith, Director, Energy & Water Technology, Hampton Roads Alliance. “The natural assets, workforce, potential customers, and strength of partners like Virginia Tech make Hampton Roads a natural fit to be a green hydrogen hub and the Alliance is thrilled to take this next step in advancing the industry.”

For more information on the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, visit https://www.vtcrc.com. For the full list of projects awarded a GO Virginia grant visit https://dhcd.virginia.gov/march-2023-go-virginia-grant-awards.

Additional questions may be directed to Alisa Crider, Director, Investor & Public Relations, at acrider@hamptonroadsalliance.com.