DOE Project Leads to New Hydrogen Fueling Station in California

February 18, 2005

Photo of an SUV at a hydrogen fuel pump.

A fuel-cell-powered Hyundai Tuscon pulls up to the new hydrogen fueling station.
Credit: ChevronTexaco

ChevronTexaco opened its first hydrogen fueling station in Chino, California, on February 18th, joined by Assistant Secretary of Energy David Garman and representatives of Hyundai-Kia and UTC Fuel Cells. The station is a major part of the DOE's Hydrogen "Learning Demonstration," which brings together automobile makers and energy companies to test fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen fueling systems in real-world conditions. Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage SUVs, powered by fuel cells manufactured by UTC Fuel Cells, will operate throughout Southern California and refuel at the ChevronTexaco hydrogen station. The hydrogen is produced on-site from natural gas, but the station will also have the future capability to convert other renewable fuel sources, such as ethanol, into hydrogen for refueling fuel cell vehicles.

"On a day-to-day basis, [these projects] will give our researchers and scientists on-the-road experience with hydrogen fuel vehicles and demonstrate what we need to do to make these technologies even better," said Assistant Secretary Garman. "By doing so, it is our hope that these clean, zero-emission vehicles will become as common as the cars we know today." See the press releases from DOE, ChevronTexaco, and Hyundai.

While the Chino project is part of President Bush's Hydrogen Fuel Initiative, his brother—Florida Governor Jeb Bush—has his own hydrogen energy initiative, called "H2 Florida." On February 17th, Governor Bush attended the groundbreaking in Orlando for another ChevronTexaco hydrogen fueling station, which will be Florida's first, and announced plans for new legislation to move the H2 Florida initiative forward. Under the proposed Hydrogen Energy Technologies Act, Florida will set aside $12.9 million to test and demonstrate the cutting-edge hydrogen technology and provide $2.1 million in new tax incentives for businesses that invest in hydrogen technologies. Participants in the groundbreaking included Ford Motor Company and Progress Energy. See the press releases from the Florida Energy Office and Progress Energy.