California Awards $47 Million for Hydrogen Fueling Stations

The California Energy Commission is distributing $47 million in grants to erect 28 hydrogen refueling stations and deploy a mobile refueling rig in the state.

California currently has nine hydrogen facilities, which are used by fuel cell-powered vehicles, and is building 17 more. The awards are part of a $200 million project the state announced last year to open 100 hydrogen stations in 10 years.

Bloomberg News reports separately that Toyota Motor Corp. plans to invest as much as $7 million in one of the station builders, FirstElement Fuel Inc., which is headed by former General Motors Co. marketing chief Joel Ewanick. The startup company plans to open at least 19 hydrogen stations in California.

Toyota and several other carmakers are preparing to lease small numbers of fuel cell vehicles directly to consumers in California. Industry technologists consider fuel cells a more attractive long-term alternative to piston power, but only if a hydrogen fueling infrastructure becomes available.