California is one of seven hydrogen “hubs” nationwide that the U.S. Department of Energy says will be a key part of the country’s clean-energy future.
State officials said California must use its $1.2 billion in federal grants to build what amounts to an industrial ecosystem in the state that makes hydrogen more plentiful, available and cheaper.
“What the ecosystem does is balance the supply of hydrogen with the demand. The key to launching a hydrogen market is really getting to scale,” said Tyson Eckerle, a director of the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES), the state agency that will administer the plan.
“So, the more we can scale across sectors the stronger this ecosystem will be. And hydrogen is really exciting because it helps us get to the hard-to-decarbonize sectors so we can get to 100% carbon-free by 2045 in California, which is our mandate,” Eckerle said
In its application for federal funds, California focused on heavy-duty vehicles, power plants and ports. But Eckerle said hydro-powered cars will also be part of the picture.
“We’re focusing, with the federal money, on heavy duty stations. But they will, in a lot of cases, offer passenger vehicle fueling. And as we drive down costs and improve on the economies of scale, that opens up a lot more opportunities for passenger vehicle fueling as well,” Eckerle said.
California’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership estimates there are 15,000 hydrogen fuel cell cars on California roads.
Honda, Hyundai and Toyota make hydrogen cars. In San Diego there are only two stations with hydrogen pumps where you can fill up a car.
