LOS ANGELES — Hydrogen, viewed by its advocates as a clean fuel and a solution to climate change, is having a “non moment,” but don’t ask anyone in the industry to say that on the record.
Years of market turmoil, federal funding cuts, canceled projects and industry pullback have made it clear: California’s grand vision for fleets of vehicles and heavy industry running on clean hydrogen fuel has stalled.
kAm*6E 2E 2 C646?E 82E96C:?8 😕 $24C2>6?E@[ E9@D6 😕 E96 ?2D46?E :?5FDECJ 4@?E:?F65 E@ E@FE E96 A@E6?E:2= @7 2 7F6= E96J 9@A6 H:== EFC? 2C@F?5 2?5 E9C:G6] !C24E:42==J ?@ @?6 H2?E65 E@ 36 BF@E65 @? E96 3=62< @FE=@@<]k^Am
kAm“xE’D E@F89[” D2:5 p?5C6H r2C>2?[ 2 9J5C@86? 562=>2<6C 2E E96 4@?76C6?46 H9@ D2:5 E96C6 ;FDE 2C6?’E 6?@F89 3FJ6CD E@ ;FDE:7J >F49 ?6H 7F6= AC@5F4E:@?]k^Am
kAmwJ5C@86? 😀 2? 2=E6C?2E:G6 E@ 82D@=:?6[ 5:6D6= 7F6= 2?5 ?2EFC2= 82D E92E’D A2CE @7 r2=:7@C?:2’D 4=:>2E6 DEC2E68J 3642FD6 :E 5@6D?’E AC@5F46 8C66?9@FD6 82D 6>:DD:@?D H96? FD65] xE 42? 36 >256 4=62?=J 3J 4=62G:?8 E96 9J5C@86? @FE @7 H2E6C FD:?8 4=62? 6=64EC:4:EJ]k^Am
kAmqFE E92E’D ?@E H92E FDF2==J 92AA6?D] $@>6 hdT @7 9J5C@86? FD65 E@52J 😀 >256 7C@> ?2EFC2= 82D] %92E’D 3642FD6 7C66:?8 9J5C@86? 7C@> :ED 3@?5 H:E9 @IJ86? 😕 H2E6C C6BF:C6D 2? 6IEC2@C5:?2CJ 2>@F?E @7 6?6C8J — 2?5 6IA6?D:G6 6BF:A>6?E — >2<:?8 :E 4@DE AC@9:3:E:G6]k^Am
kAmu@C>6C r2=:7@C?:2 v@G] pC?@=5 $49H2CK6?6886C 5C@G6 2 wF>>6C A@H6C65 3J 9J5C@86?[ AFEE:?8 E96 7F6= @? E96 DE2E6’D >2A 😕 a__c H:E9 9:D G:D:@? @7 2 a__\DE2E:@? “ 9J5C@86? 9:89H2J]” qFE 2D 6=64EC:4 42CD 5C@AA65 😕 AC:46 2?5 82:?65 A@AF=2C:EJ[ E96 9:89H2J 92D >@C6 @C =6DD 366? =67E 7@C 5625]k^Am
kAm“%96C6 H2D 2 C246 36EH66? 32EE6C:6D 2?5 9J5C@86?[ 2?5 32EE6C:6D H@?[” D2:5 q:== |282G6C?[ A@=:4J 5:C64E@C 2E E96 r@2=:E:@? 7@C r=62? p:C]k^Am
kAm%96C6 2C6 D@>6 `c[___ 9J5C@86? 42CD C68:DE6C65 😕 r2=:7@C?:2[ 2?5 E92E ?F>36C 564=:?65 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 =2DE J62C] %96C6 2C6 6:89E 76H6C 9J5C@86? 7F6=:?8 DE2E:@?D ?@H E92? 😕 a_ab E@@ — 2 E@E2= @7 df[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 r2=:7@C?:2 t?6C8J r@>>:DD:@?] p?5 23@FE 2 E9:C5 2C6 @FE @7 @C56C]k^Am
kAmx? C646?E J62CD[ E96 DE2E6 92D A:G@E65 E@H2C5 9J5C@86? 7@C 3FD6D[ ECF4
kAmr2C>2? D2:5 E96C6 2C6 c__ @C D@ 9J5C@86? 3FD6D 2?5 ECF4
kAmqFE E96 DE2E6’D 5C62> @7 2 G2DE ?6EH@C< @7 8C66? 7F6= AC@5F4E:@? D:E6D 2?5 A:A6=:?6D D6CG:?8 E9@FD2?5D @7 9J5C@86?\A@H6C65 G69:4=6D 24C@DD r2=:7@C?:2 😀 2 92C56C D6==]k^Am
kAm“w@H 5@ J@F 86E E@ E92E ?6IE D42=6n” 2D<65 r2C>2?[ H9@ CF?D !prr $6CG:46D] “%92E’D ?@E 2? 62DJ AC@3=6> E@ D@=G6]”k^Am
kAm|2?J 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 8C@FAD 92G6 =@?8 366? D<6AE:42= 6G6? @7 E96 `T @7 9J5C@86? E92E 😀 AC@5F465 4=62?=J — 42==65 8C66? 9J5C@86?] %96J 4@?E6?5 E96 4@DED 2?5 6?6C8J 56>2?5D @7 AC@5F4:?8 2?5 5:DEC:3FE:?8 :E >2<6 :E :?76C:@C E@ 32EE6C:6D 😕 2=>@DE 6G6CJ 42D6]k^Am
kAm!C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A AF==65 E96 CF8 @FE 7C@> F?56C p#rwt$ — 2 AF3=:4\AC:G2E6 A2CE?6CD9:A E@ 4C62E6 2 8C66? 9J5C@86? 64@?@>J 😕 E96 DE2E6 — H96? 96 42?46=65 FA E@ Sa]a 3:==:@? 😕 8C2?ED 7@C (6DE r@2DE 9J5C@86? 9F3D 😕 2 A@=:E:42==J >@E:G2E65 564:D:@? ?@H 36:?8 492==6?865 😕 4@FCE] w6 2=D@ 4FE D9@CE E2I 4C65:ED >62?E E@ 3@=DE6C E96 :?5FDECJ]k^Am
kAmqFE 6G6? 367@C6 E92E[ AC@;64ED E@ >2<6 K6C@ 2?5 =@H\42C3@? 9J5C@86? H6C6 36:?8 42?46=65 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ 2D E96J DECF88=65 E@ 3C:?8 5@H? 4@DED] “r2=:7@C?:2’D 9J5C@86? 9JA6 H2D 2=C625J 725:?8[” @?6 2?2=JD:D 7C@> q=@@>36C8}tu D2:5[ 42==:?8 E96 (6DE r@2DE :?5FDECJ “2=C625J 5625]”k^Am
kAmx? r2=:7@C?:2[ 9J5C@86? 4@DED 7@FC E:>6D >@C6 A6C >:=6 E92? 82D@=:?6[ 6G6? H:E9 E96 =2E6DE :?4C62D6D 😕 &]$] 7F6= AC:46D[ D2:5 |2EE96H w@58<:?D@?[ 2? 2?2=JDE 2E $U2>Aj! v=@32= t?6C8J]k^Am
kAm%96C6 H6C6 23@FE a_ E:>6D >@C6 t’ ECF4
kAm(:E9 2 4@FA=6 @7 6I46AE:@?D[ G69:4=6 >2?F724EFC6CD[ 7=66E @H?6CD 2?5 EC2?D:E 286?4:6D 2C6 96D:E2?E E@ :?G6DE 😕 9J5C@86? AC@5F4ED H96? E96J 5@?’E @H H96E96C E96 7F6= 2?5 7:==:?8 DE2E:@?D H:== 36 E96C6]k^Am
kAm%96 DE2E6 😀 C6=F4E2?E E@ 7:== E96 G@:5 =67E 3J 7656C2= 7F?5:?8 27E6C 2 D6C:6D @7 32?<6d ecf4=””/>
“’”
“”’
“”“”
“”
’
’
“”“”
“’”