NorCal’s 1st public hydrogen fueling station opens in West Sacramento

The first public hydrogen fueling station in Northern California opened this week in West Sacramento.

The $2.5 million station, at Ramos Oil, 1515 S. River Road, is the 10th retail hydrogen fueling station in the state and represents a milestone in a yearslong goal set by the California Energy Commission and the California Fuel Cell Partnership in West Sacramento.

Earlier this year, the CEC announced that it will invest $46.6 million to accelerate the development of public hydrogen fueling stations throughout California to promote a consumer market for zero-emission fuel-cell vehicles, which could be more widely available next year.

The state is working to build a network of hydrogen stations in Northern California and Southern California, with the stations strategically located along major travel corridors and in regional centers.

California’s previously stated zero-emission vehicle goal is to have 1.5 million hydrogen, battery and plug-in electric vehicles on roadways by 2025 as part of its plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality and lower dependence on petroleum.

Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz and Nissan are among the major automakers currently building or developing vehicles that will be fueled by hydrogen. California is expected to be the nation’s No. 1 market for hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles.

This story was originally published December 11, 2014 at 3:00 AM with the headline "NorCal’s 1st public hydrogen fueling station opens in West Sacramento."