SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Earlier this week, the California Energy Commission (CEC) announced awards of $46.6 million to construct 28 new hydrogen refueling stations, as well as a mobile hydrogen fueler, in the state. Six of these stations will be fueled from 100% renewable sources, and this latest round of funding adds an additional 13 locations in Northern California and 15 in Southern California, creating a refueling network along major corridors and in regional centers.

“Transitioning to low- and zero-emission vehicles is critical to meeting air quality goals and to reducing the emissions that lead to climate change,” said state Energy Commissioner Janea A. Scott, in a statement from the CEC. “With this funding, California will accelerate the construction of a reliable and affordable refueling infrastructure to support the commercial market launch of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.”

The new funding will advance California Gov. Jerry Brown's executive order directing state government to support and facilitate the rapid commercialization of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in California, with a benchmark that by 2020 “the State’s zero-emission vehicle infrastructure will be able to support up to one million vehicles.”

The state currently has seven hydrogen refueling stations, with another 17 under development, with an eventual goal of establishing a 100-station network to support the full commercialization of fuel cell vehicles in California.