Joint Agency Staff Report on Assembly Bill 8: 2017 Annual Assessment of Time and Cost Needed to Attain 100 Hydrogen Refueling Stations in California

The Joint Agency Staff Report on Assembly Bill 8: 2017 Annual Assessment of Time and Cost Needed to Attain 100 Hydrogen Refueling Stations in California (2017 Joint Report) follows two previously published joint reports in accordance with Assembly Bill 8 (AB 8) (Perea, Chapter 401, Statutes of 2013). The 2017 Joint Report updates the time and cost assessments for establishing a network of publicly available hydrogen refueling stations to support the fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) market under the California Energy Commission's Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVTP).

As of November 15, 2017, 31 open retail stations sell hydrogen for use as a transportation fuel to the public, and another 34 stations are planned to become open retail in California. Together, these are the 65 stations funded by the ARFVTP to date, including those awarded funding by the Energy Commission in 2017, which are nearly two-thirds of the 100-station milestone in AB 8.

ARFVTP funding remains necessary to reach the milestone of constructing and operating 100 hydrogen refueling stations. This report presents a funding plan that could achieve the 100 station milestone at a lower cost and sooner than last year's reported estimates. Considering 10 hydrogen refueling stations funded per fiscal year, 100 stations will likely be funded in fiscal year 2021-22, with the total cost nearly $201.6 million. The Energy Commission is committed to achieving - through continued process improvement, technological advancement, and cooperation of public and private sector partners - an accelerated plan to support the development of a mature market for FCEVs as quickly as possible and to meet the state's zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) targets.