To achieve California’s ambitious climate goals, a shift to hydrogen fuel for some transportation sectors may be essential. In this report, we explore the build-out of a hydrogen fuel distribution system including uptake of light-, medium-, and heavy-duty fuel cell electric vehicles. Our analysis of Base and High Case scenarios includes costs of building and operating a hydrogen vehicle and fuel system and estimates workforce impacts. We consider scenarios with about 125,000 vehicles by 2030 in the Base Case and 250,000 in the high case. This increases by an order of magnitude to 2045. Vehicle and station investment costs associated with the Base Case reach anywhere from $4 to 12 billion USD by 2030 and increase by a factor of eight by 2045. Costs per kg of hydrogen, including fuel transmission to stations and station costs delivered to vehicles, could be in the range of $4 to 8 per kg. This becomes $6 to 10/kg as a final delivered cost, if production of hydrogen were to cost $2/kg. Workforce impacts in the Base Case include 600 to 2,200 jobs created by 2030, rising rapidly thereafter. This report was prepared by the ITS-UC Davis Energy Futures Hydrogen Program in partnership with the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation.
Thursday, October 17, 2024 - Thursday, October 17, 2024
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17TH AT 2:00 PM PT. California’s commitment to hydrogen as a clean transportation fuel is ramping up with a landmark $12.6 billion agreement between the U.S. Department of Energy and the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES) consortium to build a renewable Hydrogen Hub in the state. Are we at a tipping point for hydrogen in California’s zero-emission transportation future?
Join ARCHES and the UC Institute of Transportation Studies (UC ITS) to explore what a hydrogen transition in transportation could mean for California, including what it might cost, workforce implications, and the feasibility of delivering “green” low-carbon hydrogen. Speakers will share new research on the scale and pace of investment needed to deliver hydrogen distribution systems and refueling stations to meet growing demand, the availability and cost of hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks and passenger vehicles over the next decade and beyond, the latest carbon intensity estimates for hydrogen production, and the workforce implications of building out a hydrogen system in California. Industry experts will offer perspective on research implications to California’s growing hydrogen economy, policy, and future research directions.