Rep. Jared Huffman tours HTA hydrogen-powered bus facility

August 02, 2022

EUREKA, Calif. — On Monday, Rep. Jared Huffman visited an upcoming facility for 11 new hydrogen-fueled buses on the North Coast.

Huffman's visit to the Humboldt Transit Authority comes after a nearly $39 million grant was awarded to the agency, which will be used in part for the new buses.

"This grant started out just to follow the innovative clean transport rule that by 2030, we won't be able to purchase any more diesel buses," Humboldt Transit Authority General Manager Greg Pratt said. "The immediate impact will be a reduction of 125,000 gallons of diesel used every year. That'd be replaced with hydrogen exhaust, which is water."

HTA provided a presentation on Monday of the agency's plan for rolling out the new buses as well as a tour of the current HTA facility in Eureka. It will include an upcoming hydrogen fueling station for buses and other vehicles. Huffman and other HTA officials told North Coast News this will have a massive impact on residents on the North Coast as the agency transitions.

"We hope to get things in place and start with the different contracts and ordering the buses, in January of 2023, and from then on, it'll probably take us a year and a half to, from the time we ordered the buses to start receiving them and put them in the service."

He said the center is expected to be complete by the end of 2024.

According to HTA, the grant will also create a new intercity transit service with the Redwood Coast Express with the new buses. It is expected to run from Eureka to Ukiah to help connect the North Coast to the Bay Area.

 


By:  Austin Castro
Source: KRCR