California Air Resources Board

Thank you, Board members, for hosting this public dialogue session. I am Otis Greer, Deputy Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships for the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority. Our comments today focus on the importance of maintaining momentum for development of hydrogen fueled buses, trucks, and trains and the fuel supply chain needed to power them.

As many of you know, SBCTA has been in the process of delivering the nation’s first hydrogen fuel cell powered 2-car passenger trainset, to be put into service on Metrolink’s Arrow corridor within the next few months. This zero-emission adventure began in 2018 with our first grant from CalSTA’s TIRCP program.

One of the greatest challenges has been securing a reliable and affordable hydrogen fuel supply. We are not alone. Multiple transit operators in our area are investing in a hydrogen future: Omnitrans has four fuel-cell buses on order. Victor Valley Transit Authority is expecting delivery of 13 fuel cell buses by the end of 2025. Foothill Transit to the west of us already has the nation’s largest fuel cell bus fleet. Hydrogen-powered buses have been coming into favor not only because of their zero-emission status, but also their longer range, quick refuel time, and low noise level.

It turns out that acquiring the buses is the easy part, relatively speaking. Securing a reliable and economical hydrogen supply has been the biggest challenge. Our request, therefore, is for the state to maintain a focus on bringing the hydrogen fuel market to scale. We recognize that this is a goal of ARCHES and other initiatives, and we are hoping that the fuel cell trucking industry will become a significant part of that equation.

But the cost of fuel will be a major driver in how quickly this occurs. Our request, therefore, is to provide as much flexibility as possible for the hydrogen fueling industry to bring their production capabilities to scale in California. Safety is paramount, but there should be some flexibility in the sourcing of hydrogen while the industry develops, fuels become more available, and at affordable price points. Hydrogen fuels will get cleaner over time, with the right incentives. But the important thing now is to attract more hydrogen users into the market, and both fuel affordability and reliability of the supply chain will be key in allowing this to occur. Thank you for your time.