A Statement from Chairman R. Rex Parris

Recognizing recent shifts in USDOE hydrogen grant funding, First Public Hydrogen Authority (FPH2), the nation’s first public hydrogen utility, underscores our commitment to expanding hydrogen deployment through proven municipal strategies. Working with local governments, skilled workforce, the private sector, and university partners, increased hydrogen deployments are already on the horizon.

As we plan our energy future, FPH2 will stay the course on enabling hydrogen adoption across the economy. We will utilize every available tool to support new hydrogen production projects in the state, as well as new infrastructure that stores, transports, dispenses, and utilizes hydrogen. Expanding hydrogen production here at home strengthens our region’s competitive position, advances energy diversity and independence, and creates more highly skilled jobs.

First Public Hydrogen Authority will remain steadfast in its mission to expand the hydrogen economy. Cities created FPH2 to ensure that hydrogen remains a practical and reliable energy resource. We will remain focused on new energy, new jobs, lower costs for consumers, and overall improving our communities.

Hydrogen has long been a reliable energy solution in Southern California for industrial processes, manufacturing, fertilizer feedstock, and other applications. For more than 50 years, hydrogen has been a part of the state’s economy, serving the industrial sector through significant hydrogen production, delivery, and dispensing infrastructure developed over the past few decades. FPH2 is leveraging the state’s hydrogen backbone to facilitate the use of hydrogen in new areas, such as heavy-duty transportation, port operations, microgrids, and new electric generation capacity.

With this historic hydrogen economy as a foundation, FPH2 is confident that hydrogen will continue to expand as an energy solution for our region across the economy; hydrogen deployments will help power buses, trucks, and trains, as well as fuel new microgrids and other future electric generation.

Through continued collaboration with cities across the state and hydrogen solution providers, new commercial customers and municipal agencies, including city transit agencies, ports, and public utilities, can be served by new hydrogen supply and infrastructure. Increased market incentives at the local and state levels, like city agencies looking at renewable hydrogen to replace diesel and natural gas in their fleets, fuel cell, trains and power plants, and new state rules to support hydrogen use in power plants, state hydrogen incentives for ports and fleets (drayage trucks and cargo handling equipment) that match historic state incentives for electric vehicle technology and fueling, we are confident that the state’s hydrogen market will remain one of the largest in the nation.

This year, FPH2 launched with the Cities of Lancaster and Industry and has already grown to include more California cities committed to expanding the hydrogen economy, along with private-sector partners to pursue public-private partnerships. Built on a decade of success in community choice energy, FPH2 brings a municipal, cost-effective approach that provides stability, scalability, and real-world results. Working together with municipalities, skilled workers, private partners, and leveraging the expertise of UC researchers, FPH2 will continue to move hydrogen forward in California.

R. Rex Parris, Chairman