Motz sees big opportunity in hydrogen

By COLLIN GALLANT on November 10, 2021.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

Member of Parliament Glen Motz is bullish on Medicine Hat’s prospects to develop a local hydrogen industry, but says Ottawa needs to step up with financial support to help the Hat and the rest of Alberta retool industry to achieve climate reduction targets.

“We will ignore this opportunity at our peril,” said Motz on Tuesday during an online luncheon with business and political leaders in the region.

“It would be a huge gain in investment and jobs, and could ensure the viability of the city for the next 50 years.”

His comments come as Conservative politicians and petroleum sector observers have reacted sharply critical of the appointment of Liberal MP Steven Guilbeault, a former Greenpeace activist, as Minister of the Environment and Climate Change.

Motz says the appointment puts the government in a corner where they have no choice but to support the work.

“We have the expertise and industry is ready,” he said. “It creates the opportunity for Medicine Hat to present their plan and have the Liberals put their money where their mouth is.

“This is everything that the environmental lobby has been asking for.”

The City of Medicine Hat launched its own hydrogen sector development plan this summer, and is applying to the province for initial approval to start a carbon capture hub – initiatives Motz says should be entitled to substantial “subsidization” from the federal government, which has set targets.

A provincial strategy will focus on creating local markets for the clean-burning fuel that can be produced from natural gas coupled with carbon capture technology, or from water using large amounts of renewable energy.

The Liberals have announced they will bring in tax incentives for clean energy companies, plant and production retrofits, and new investments, though details have not been finalized.

Also on Tuesday, officials with Prairie Economic Development (formerly Western Diversification) announced some new funding for hydrogen sector development in Edmonton.

Speaking last week after the province unveiled its own plans to help bolster the sector’s development, Invest MH officials told the News it it “methodically” seeking out grants to cover the costs of future studies and to build a test case. Invest head Eric Van Enk says no municipal funds have been spent other than “sweat equity” of administrators who are developing the proposal.

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