Tri-Counties Hydrogen Readiness Plan

This report is a hydrogen readiness plan prepared for the Tri-Counties region of Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo. The plan takes advantage of work already performed at the state level and in other areas to prepare communities for the safe use of hydrogen as a clean alternative fuel for transportation. The plan addresses the placement of infrastructure for vehicle refueling by prioritizing favorable locations and identifying potential sites, establishing key public and private stakeholders, and implementing community outreach efforts. The plan also includes selected resources that can be used by planners, permitting staff and first responders to safely and effectively prepare for the use of hydrogen and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles in the Tri-Counties region. The plan addresses the use of fuel cell electric vehicles with retail and municipal fleet users. This planning work was collaborated and coordinated with the existing hierarchy of regional planning documents that are now adopted or in development to foster the use of Alternative Fuels and Alternative Fuel Vehicles in the Tri-Counties Region.

The plan identified three key priorities for ongoing hydrogen readiness planning efforts in the Tri-Counties. These are: (1) to secure funding to support hydrogen infrastructure build-out, vehicle incentives and outreach efforts (for example from public-private partnerships, California Environmental Quality Act mitigation, settlements, enforcement actions, and grants, etc.); (2) to develop a strategy for creating commercial opportunities locally for the production and delivery of low-carbon hydrogen; and (3) increasing public awareness of hydrogen and FCEVs to facilitate early adoption and create a foundation for broader consumer acceptance in the future.