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• Humboldt Has a Shiny New Hydrogen Bus Ready to Ride

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Over the past year, 11 brand new hydrogen-powered buses have arrived in Humboldt County. But since February, shipments of hydrogen fuel have been at a standstill.

The Humboldt Transit Authority (HTA) has been rationing fuel since, unable to roll the zero-emission buses into service. Some are concerned that the statewide fuel disruption could be a sign of what’s to come.

But transit officials say a special shipment is arriving this week — and that hiccups are to be expected when bringing an entirely new technology to the region.

[UPDATE, 5 p.m.] HTA reports all the buses have been successfully fueled, and will be out on the road soon.

HTA’s contracted shipments of hydrogen have been on hold since February, multiple people familiar with the situation told the Outpost.

A statewide disruption to hydrogen shipping is ongoing following an accident in San Bernardino County.

A truck hauling compressed hydrogen cylinders exploded in San Bernardino County on February 24, killing two workers. The incident caused immediate effects to the hydrogen supply chain. The Los Angeles Times reported this knocked out over half of the network’s supply.

Many months later, even as fueling stations across the state appear to have come back online, shipments to Humboldt County remain frozen.

“It’s been challenging not having fuel,” said Katie Collender, general manager of the Humboldt Transit Authority.

“Now, we’re at such a place that we need to source fuel elsewhere.”

The lack of fuel has impacted transit operations because HTA has a limited supply of 40-foot buses. Collender said it’s been difficult not having the buses for use in revenue service. Plus, the buses need to be run regularly to keep the fuel cells, which convert the hydrogen to electricity, in good condition.

To remedy the gap, HTA ultimately decided to buy a special shipment of fuel from another contractor, which is expected to arrive this week. After the fuel arrives, HTA plans to run one hydrogen bus a day on the shortest Redwood Transit route.

Collender said upcoming infrastructure will make the system more resilient to these kinds of disruptions.

The agency is currently using a temporary fueling station for gaseous hydrogen fuel, while waiting for permanent fueling infrastructure.

When the permanent station is installed, expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027, HTA will have access to a large tank that will store liquid hydrogen. Plus, the station will allow for commercial sales, making it possible for hydrogen passenger cars and other agencies to use the fuel source.

And more broadly, with the agency being the first rural system in the nation to adopt hydrogen fuel cell technology, Collender said hiccups like these are to be expected.

“We’d be foolish to expect no more hiccups as we adopt something new in a rural area about six hours from the nearest hydrogen station. That’s why this project’s so bold, is because we are taking on these challenges,” she said.

“We’re fortunate the state is supporting us in getting hydrogen a foothold in Humboldt County. Once we have our station, others can see it in action and say, ‘I’d like to get those types of vehicles for my fleet.’”

A spokesperson from the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which manages hydrogen infrastructure, said HTA isn’t the only one affected by these troubles.

“Stations around the state have been impacted by similar short-term supply disruptions along with potential safety enhancement of hydrogen delivery trailers,” wrote Lindsay Buckley, spokesperson for CARB in an email to the Outpost.

She noted that the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership, a public-private entity aimed at bringing and expanding hydrogen in the state, has formed a group to develop guidelines and specifications on trailer design following the explosion.

The industry is also working to find more effective and reliable solutions for temporary refueling, she said.

From the perspective of HTA Board Member Jack Tuttle — a solar equipment distributor who is more of a proponent of electric buses, himself — this situation could be an inkling of future trouble.

He’s particularly concerned about fuel transportation issues, like if a major highway is shut down for an extended period of time. He’s also concerned about a limited number of companies in the hydrogen industry that can repair or maintain the infrastructure.

“I can’t say it’ll be smooth sailing, but it’s going to be a great learning lesson for all of us, and it’s going to teach us some valuable insight on the hydrogen economy — and how we’re still in the infancy stage of it,” he said, in an interview with the Outpost.

Reporting from the Los Angeles Times last month brought to light struggles the industry is facing, with market turmoil, federal funding cuts, canceled projects and industry pullback.

Still, transit agencies must meet state targets aimed at addressing climate change, and California has pressed for more hydrogen stations as part of the solution. California public transit systems must transition to 100% zero-emission bus fleets by 2040.

Hydrogen buses, like the ones HTA has, emit only water. While the vast majority of hydrogen produced in California is made using natural gas, it can be produced with a higher cost using clean energy.

Hydrogen was chosen for Humboldt County as many routes are simply too long for the current electric bus technology.

“The issues faced by small, rural transit agencies are different, and in some ways more daunting than they are in urban areas,” said Peter Lehman, founding director of the Schatz Energy Research Center, who has personally tested 10 of the buses.

But he said that Humboldt is pioneering the future possibilities of clean energy, making it possible for similar transit agencies to do the same.

“It’s really an important project, in that regard,” he said.

A grant to buy the buses and related infrastructure was announced in 2022, aimed at replacing diesel Redwood Transit System buses — which burn roughly 10,000 gallons of diesel a year, according to a promotional video from the bus manufacturer.

The fueling station cost roughly $18 million, with the buses coming with a price tag of $15 million. This was funded by a grant from the California State Transportation Agency’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, in line with statewide goals to bring more fueling stations to California.

Lehman, who has researched and worked with hydrogen for decades, said the technology for these buses is not new.

But what is new are the long-range buses HTA has, which were developed specifically for Humboldt County.

The buses needed sufficient power and range to negotiate the lengthy route from Eureka to Ukiah, and back again, on a single tank of fuel, roughly 400 miles. This is necessary because there’s nowhere to top off; the nearest hydrogen station is in the San Francisco Bay area. Refueling takes roughly 12 minutes.

In testing, the buses have “performed extremely well,” according to Greg Chapman from Schatz Energy Research Center, and have been able to navigate steep grades in Humboldt County.

Lehman sees concerns about the safety of the fuel source to be misplaced. He pointed out that we, as a society, have decided the risks inherent with fossil fuels are outweighed by the benefits.

“[Hydrogen] is used frequently, all over our society, and it has an excellent safety record,” said Lehman.