Fuel Cell Trucks And Buses Are Still Coming, And They Still Need More Green Hydrogen

This news is about buses and trucks, not homes, but it touches on hydrogen as a fuel source, which comes up in energy conversations. Fuel cell vehicles run on hydrogen instead of batteries, and "green hydrogen" means the hydrogen is made using renewable energy rather than natural gas. Researchers are looking at new ways to produce it cheaply, including breaking down seaweed and even plastic waste, though these methods are still early and not yet used at any real scale.

On the vehicle side, transit agencies are moving ahead with hydrogen fueling stations for buses. In California, SamTrans (San Mateo County) is building what's billed as the largest hydrogen bus fueling station of its kind, and Orange County's transit authority has a $27.5 million contract to build one at its Garden Grove bus depot, where it plans to grow its fleet from 10 to 50 hydrogen buses. A new station for hydrogen truck fleets has also opened in Santa Fe Springs. In Europe, companies like Bosch and MAN are testing fuel cell buses and trucks in Spain and Germany, generally as a complement to battery-electric vehicles for longer routes.

None of this points to a home heating or vehicle option for homeowners. Hydrogen fuel cells are being aimed at buses, trucks, and heavy industry, not home energy systems, where researchers and companies say battery electric and building electrification remain the more practical path.