The amount of Energy loss from a power grid stretching from SW Arizona to Nashua would lose much more energy than a H2 pipeline would. The fewer cloud free direct sun days in those upper latitudes would not provide self sufficiency. Also the Cars, boats, trucks, trains, planes would be unable to use solar power directly.
With the sun providing the free original source of energy, the most important consideration would be scale. The SW desert would have the most cloud free days and plenty of cheap real estate to scale up the operation.