McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Robert Nowicki
Monday, May 18, 2026 1:01 PM
PublicComment-AutoResponse
Agenda Item #7 (Hydrogen Fueling Station)
I Some people who received this message don't often get email fromLearn why this is important 1 [ l ] CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you know the content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. For more information about the Phish Alert Button view article "KB0011474" on the DolT portal.
Council,
I have commented previously on the FCEB procurement, both for the busses and the engineering contract.
The Municipal Service Committee meeting on 4/28 states that green hydrogen is available locally. But also that "regional production capacity is scaling rapidly via state and non-governmental funding...".
Please see the following linked article from shortly after the 4/28 meeting, noting the CPUC decision to deny the SoCalGas application to charge customers to build the Angeles Link project, designed to transport hydrogen into the Los Angeles basin:
https://cleantechnica.com/2026/04/30/cpuc-protects-ratepavers-reiects-socalcias-attempt-to-charge- customers-for-hvdrocien-pipeline/
Not clear whether this project was one that was being counted on to "scale rapidly", but if SoCalGas is now required to finance the project it will likely be dropped.
And there is also this report about a failed hydrogen bus project in Vienna, where 7 of 10 busses delivered in December 2025 are inoperable due to spare parts shortages:
https://cleantechnica.com/2026/05/06/viennas-hvdrocien-bus-failure-is-a-warninci-to-transit-ac3encies/ The article goes to great length to describe just how brittle the supply chain can be due to low procurement volumes, and that cities aren't just purchasing a bus, they are also counting on a supply chain existing for many years into the future. This one paragraph from the article sums it up nicely:
"Hydrogen buses are often framed as a clean-technology choice beside battery-electric buses. That framing is too narrow for municipal procurement. Agencies inherit more than a propulsion system. They inherit supplier solvency risk, spare-parts risk, fueling risk, technician training obligations, safety management requirements, warranty exposure, software dependencies, and political accountability when service fails." The prior e-mail from Victor Caballero brings up many good points that I will not repeat. However, the rapid advance of battery range and declining cost cannot be overemphasized. It is entirely possible that by the time the first FCEV bus arrives in Pasadena, BEB's will be more cost effective and have comparable range. I also urge the City Council to halt the bus procurement, and any further contracts related to the hydrogen fueling station.
Robert Nowicki
05/18/2026
Item?