Casey says proposed rule could hurt efforts to develop hydrogen industry in Pa.
Also, Kelly seeks to protect patients with kidney disease and McCormick goes to Israel
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Bob Casey says Pennsylvania could miss out on a burgeoning hydrogen industry if the Biden administration doesn’t adjust its proposed rules for a clean energy tax credit.
To qualify for a new hydrogen tax credit approved in President Joe Biden’s climate change and health care law, producers must meet criteria proposed by the Internal Revenue Service. The rules deal with carbon emissions from various hydrogen production methods, retrofitting facilities and more. Producers of what’s known as blue hydrogen — which requires natural gas or other non-renewable energy sources — must meet pipeline requirements and track and minimize emissions.
But Mr. Casey and others, including U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Aspinwall, say the proposed rules are too strict.
Mr. Casey, D-Pa., said the rules could affect Pennsylvania businesses’ ability to participate in the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub and the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub — two of seven regional efforts across the U.S. to invest billions of dollars to establish a clean hydrogen economy, create tens of thousands of jobs and help meet the Biden administration’s goal of a net zero-emission economy by 2050.
“I have serious questions that this proposed rule will hinder our ability to produce clean hydrogen to power the U.S.’s energy future,” Mr. Casey said. “Further, it appears that this rule may cut out of the equation Pennsylvania workers and businesses that are ready and willing to lead the way on hydrogen power. Pennsylvania jobs are at stake, and I am going to keep pushing the administration to listen to Pennsylvanians, especially those in energy communities, and ensure our commonwealth is poised to take full advantage of this tax credit in the way that Congress intended.”
The Appalachian hub — which includes southwestern Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky — plans on producing blue hydrogen, which is mainly derived from natural gas, with any emissions produced in the process captured and stored underground or turned into carbon products.
The IRS says it’s seeking comments on the proposed rules by Feb. 26. The agency then will hold a public hearing on March 25.
Rep. Kelly pushes to protect dialysis patients’ private health care
U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly is part of a group of bipartisan lawmakers who introduced a bill to let individuals with end stage renal disease keep their access to private health care instead of effectively being forced onto Medicare.
The legislation seeks to address a Supreme Court ruling in 2022 that the lawmakers say opened the door for private health plans to prematurely force such patients to switch to Medicare, disrupting coverage and shifting a bigger share of dialysis costs onto taxpayers.
The Supreme Court had rejected a dialysis provider’s claim that an Ohio hospital’s employee health plan discriminated against ESRD patients by reimbursing them at lower rates.
The lawmakers and patient advocates say before the ruling, health plans abided by a 1981 amendment to the Medicare Secondary Payer Act that blocked private insurers from pushing ESRD patients onto Medicare. But now, some ESRD patients are being kicked off of private health plans, and Congress must clarify the protections in new legislation, the lawmakers said.
“This legislation is critical for Americans living with ESRD and who rely on dialysis,” said Mr. Kelly, R-Butler. “Patients deserve to know their benefits will be in place when they need them. This legislation will improve both patient care and patient outcomes.”
David McCormick visits Israel during Hamas war
David McCormick, the Republican former hedge fund CEO running against Mr. Casey, visited Israel last week. The candidate talked with Israeli officials and survivors of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that left more than 1,200 dead and more than 200 taken hostage.
“This is a moment where we need to show solidarity with the people of Israel and freedom-loving people around the world in this fight against radicalism,” he told Fox News. “Walking through one of the kibbutzes that was attacked, talking with survivors, seeing horrible footage from the terrorist body cams that show the horror of that day, [it’s clear] that we need to destroy Hamas. Hamas needs to be destroyed by Israel, and we need to stand behind them in doing so.”
Mr. Biden’s support for Israel after Oct. 7 has drawn praise from both Democrats and Republicans and from Israeli officials, but criticism from others in his own party. Several Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, have called for a cease-fire and criticized Israel for the civilian casualties among the Palestinian population of Gaza. Hamas, designated as a terrorist group by the U.S., had broken the existing cease-fire with its attack.