News & Reports

Redding Area Bus Authority and Island Transit join the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus Council

The HFCBC welcomes the Redding Area Bus Authority and Island Transit to our group of incredible transit agencies and companies. The Redding Area Bus Authority provides transit services to residents of Shasta County, California. Island Transit offers bus and paratransit services to those living in Island County, Washington State.

HFCBC welcomes two new members: the City of Industry and Coos County Area Transportation District

The HFCBC is happy to announce that the City of Industry and Coos County Area Transportation District have joined our ranks! New members provide new opportunities to network and share best practices, and we are excited to work with these exciting new additions.

HFCBC members speak at APTA Mobility Conference

APTA’s mobility conference featured a session on fuel cell management with several HFCBC members on its panel. Doran Barnes, HFCBC Board Member and CEO of Foothill Transit; Cole Pouliot, Fleet Carbonization Lead at AECOM; and Jim Gee, Director of Public Transit at RTC Washoe shared lessons learned from their experience.

HFCBC members travel to Capitol Hill for Lobby Day

Our delegation met with the offices of several representatives alongside bipartisan staff from the House Appropriations Committee, Senate Appropriations Committee, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Senate Banking Committee to advocate for more Low-No grants to hydrogen fuel cell projects, as well as staff from Senators Coons’, Cornyn’s and Representative Tonko’s offices.

HFCBC hosts breakfast reception for APTA attendees

The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus Council hosted a breakfast reception for APTA Legislative Conference attendees. Over 40 people attended from across the country.

HFCBC President Karl Gnadt testifies at IRS hearing on hydrogen production tax credit

On March 25th, President Karl Gnadt testified in front of clean industry stakeholders at an IRS hearing on the 45V Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit. Karl advocated for a streamlined application and verification process for producers who are units of local government or produce less than 1 MW/year. His testimony also advocated for more realistic approaches to additionality and hourly matching.

HFCBC Board Members Kirt Conrad (SARTA) and Tim Sasseen (Ballard Power Systems) discuss hydrogen hubs and their impact on Transit Unplugged

Hydrogen hubs have been a major focus of recent infrastructure spending. These hubs help lower the cost of hydrogen, making it more viable as an alternative fuel. Check out their interview with Paul Comfort and let the Council know if you want to engage with an H2 hub in your region.

HFCBC submits comments on 45V Tax Credit

In response to the Department of Treasury’s proposed guidance on the 45V Hydrogen Production Tax Credit, the Council submitted comments that reflect the priorities of our members.

HFCBC hosts Joint Procurement Initiative for members

The HFCBC released a form to help members connect with other transit agencies to better facilitate joint procurement, making their Low-No and Bus and Bus Facilities grants more competitive.

HFCBC welcomes Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority

The HFCBC is thrilled to announce our newest member, StanRTA, who just secured a state grant to advance their hydrogen initiatives. StanRTA operates public transportation in Modesto, CA, and throughout Stanislaus County.

HFCBC hosts webinar on H2 fueling infrastructure

Early this year, the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus Council hosted a webinar to help our members better understand their fueling needs. Representatives from AECOM, BayoTech, IVYS Inc., and Trillium presented.

HFCBC holds webinar on LowNo Grant Applications

The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus Council hosted its “Partnering for Low-No Success” webinar on January 10th. The webinar provided HFCBC members with a comprehensive overview of successful LowNo bus grant applications.

HFCBC Releases PIPES Act Summary

The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus Council released a summary of the Promoting Innovation in Pipeline Efficiency and Safety Act of 2023 to help members understand the legislation’s implications. The PIPES Act required that the Department of Transportation conduct a study on composite material for transporting hydrogen and directed the Government Accountability Office to study existing natural gas pipeline systems that are blending in hydrogen to inform future rulemaking.

HFCBC issues statement on hydrogen costs and 45V tax credit implementation

The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus Council released a statement outlining the importance of lowering hydrogen fuel costs. The 45V tax credit offers an excellent opportunity to lower these costs, but if it is saddled with burdensome requirements it will not help transit agencies. The statement was republished in POLITICO’s Morning Transportation newsletter.

HFCBC holds joint panel with CTE

During the APTA TRANSform conference, the Bus Council held a joint panel with CTE featuring presentations from 3 HFCBC members: RTC Washoe, SARTA, and RTS. The space was standing room only with lots of engagement from the crowd.

HFCBC welcomes new members

The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus Council is happy to announce our two newest members: The Washington State Transit Insurance Pool (WSTIP) and San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD). We look forward to having both of these organizations in our growing community.

HFCBC holds annual meeting in Orlando

The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus Council held its annual meeting at the APTA conference in Orlando. The Council discussed its accomplishments over the past year and future priorities.

HFCBC welcomes new members

The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus Council welcomed two new members this month: Transdev and BAE Systems. We look forward to working with these organizations to advance hydrogen in transit.

HFCBC Board Members Karl Gnadt and Kirt Conrad appear on “Transition to Zero”

Karl Gnadt and Kirt Conrad appeared on “Transition to Zero” to discuss their deployments of hydrogen fuel cell electric buses.

NFI receives third zero-emission contract from RTC, for up to 107 New Flyer fuel cell-electric buses, expanding sustainable, high-capacity mobility in Southern Nevada 

RTC Southern Nevada has awarded New Flyer a five-year contract with an initial firm order for seven zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell-electric Xcelsior CHARGE FC™ 60-foot heavy-duty transit buses.

RGRTA orders three Axess EVO-FC zero-emissions hydrogen fuel cell buses

Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA) of Rochester, N.Y., has ordered three Axess EVO-FC zero-emissions hydrogen fuel cell buses.

Hexagon Purus opens second facility of 2023 for battery and hydrogen storage systems

Hexagon Prius opened a new facility for battery and hydrogen storage in Kelowna, B.C., Canada. The facility will support the production of more than 1,000 battery systems per year.

Hydrogen Hubs: Get to Know the Encouraged Applicants

The action around clean hydrogen fuel is increasing in the United States. In December, the US Department of Energy (DOE) encouraged 33 of 79 applicants to submit a full application to the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) program in April 2023.

Foothill Transit launches Los Angeles County’s first three hydrogen fuel cell buses into revenue service Dec. 5 

Foothill Transit will be launching Los Angeles County’s first three hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) buses into revenue service on Dec. 5 on the agency’s Line 291, which serves Pomona, Claremont and La Verne. This historic move is the vanguard of an order of 33 hydrogen fuel cell buses, the largest order of HFC buses in North America, manufactured by New Flyer.