Hydrogen vehicle refueling infrastructure financing round to open in California

Beginning on April 27 and running through May 12, the second round of the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) Energy Infrastructure Incentives for Zero-Emission Commercial Vehicles (EnergIIZE) hydrogen funding stream will be accessible.

This funding lane comes after the Electric Vehicle (EV) Fast Track funding lane application window, which was immediately fully subscribed and granted applicants $10.4 million in incentives.

Of the four EnergIIZE funding lanes, the hydrogen funding lane has the largest incentive funding maximum, paying up to $3 million per project for 50% of qualified equipment and software expenditures. The maximum amount per project is $4 million, with 75% of qualifying equipment and software expenditures funded if the applicant also satisfies the Jump Start equity requirements.

Compressors, liquid and gaseous pumps, piping and pipelines, high-pressure storage, chillers, metres, switchgears, and electrical panel modifications are examples of eligible equipment and software covered by funding.

Applicants must provide evidence that their projects are intended for medium- or heavy-duty hydrogen fuel-cell cars, that refuelling stations can dispense 350 or 700 bar, and that they adhere to NFPA, ASME, and ASTM standards, in order to be considered for financing.

At the start of the application window, applicants will be able to submit applications along with supporting documentation via an Incentive Processing Center. To assist potential applicants in becoming comfortable with the application procedure, a Sandbox test application portal is accessible until April 21.

The first set of incentives for the hydrogen funding lane began last year, lasting for two weeks from late June to early July 2022. During the application process, the $17 million incentive was fully subscribed. The new funding stream will boost the amount of money available for hydrogen project funding by 74.7%.

The California Energy Commission provides funding for the EnergIIZE Commercial Vehicles Project, which is carried out by CALSTART and collaborator Tetra Tech. With a $276 million total approved allocation until 2026, EnergIIZE offers financial aid for the procurement of infrastructure for medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission cars used and registered in California.