Renewable Hydrogen Requirements
Applicants must provide a plan for dispensing at least 33% renewable hydrogen through direct
physical pathways for all station proposals. Proposals shall specify the percentage of renewable
hydrogen to be dispensed at each location and describe in adequate detail how each station or
portfolio of awarded stations (including stations previously awarded by the Energy Commission)
expect to dispense at least 33% of renewable hydrogen on a per kilogram basis over the
applicant’s entire portfolio of Energy Commission funded stations through direct physical
pathways from “well to wheel.”
Proposals must include information about the source of the feedstock(s) and/or process
electricity; how the feedstocks will be processed into fuel; and how the fuel will be transported,
stored, and ultimately dispensed at the proposed station(s).
Eligible renewable feedstocks include:
- • Biomethane or biogas such as: biomass, digester gas, landfill gas, sewer gas, or
municipal solid waste gas.
• Other feedstocks may be eligible if the Application demonstrates that the proposed
feedstock is sustainably produced, reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to the
petroleum baseline, and achieves the ARFVTP sustainability goals contained in 20 CCR
3101.5.
If the primary process energy for hydrogen production is electricity (e.g., for electrolysis),
Applicants must describe a direct source of eligible renewable electricity or source of renewable
energy certificates (RECs) that are registered and verifiable through Western Renewable Energy
Generation Information System (WREGIS) or an equivalent tracking and verification system.
Further information about WREGIS can be found at: http://www.wecc.biz/WREGIS.
Eligible renewable electricity sources include facilities that use the following:
- • Fuel cells using renewable fuels
• Geothermal
• Small hydroelectric (30 megawatts or less)
• Ocean wave
• Ocean thermal
• Tidal current
• Photovoltaic (PV)
• Solar Thermal
• Wind
• Biomass digester gas
• Municipal solid waste conversion (non-combustion thermal process)
• Landfill gas
• Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)
Applications must include information about the source of the feedstock(s) and/or process
electricity (i.e., electrical power used to run a system); how the feedstocks will be processed
into fuel; and how the fuel will be transported, stored, and ultimately dispensed at the
proposed station(s).
For each station, Applicants must submit the following information:
Year, name of pathway,
amount of hydrogen dispensed annually per station (in kilograms), biogas/renewable feedstock
(in standard cubic feet), and renewable electricity (in kilowatt hours), assumptions and
calculations on an energy equivalent basis that demonstrate that on a “well to wheel”
evaluation that the required percent of the energy used to produce, deliver, dispense and use
hydrogen was from renewable feedstock. Applicants should use the energy economy ratio
(EER) value of 2.5 (relative to gasoline) from the LCFS regulation to account for the fuel cell
vehicle efficiency. For further information, see: http://www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/lcfs/lcfs.htm.
Applicants planning to use renewable electricity for system power must describe how they
intend to use new renewable electricity capacity with the electricity either going directly to the
hydrogen production system or connected to the grid (within the Western Electricity
Coordinating Council - WECC). Applicants planning to use renewable electricity for system
power must describe how the electricity will be dedicated and used for the hydrogen
production in the sustainability section of their application. Alternatively, applicants
purchasing and utilizing eligible renewable electricity credits must describe how the credits will
be dedicated and used for the hydrogen production.
Applicants planning to use biogas for system power must describe how they will either produce
or purchase biogas (certified as renewable) that will be delivered directly to their hydrogen
production facility or injected into a pipeline system. If the purchased biogas will be injected
into a natural gas pipeline distribution system, applicants must show that a physical pathway
exists by providing documentation that proves that the purchased biogas could be transported
from the injection point to the hydrogen plant (that supplies the hydrogen for the applicant’s
stations).
For each station, Applicants must submit the following information: Year, name of pathway,
amount of hydrogen dispensed annually per station (in kilograms), biogas/renewable feedstock
(in standard cubic feet), and renewable electricity (in kilowatt hours).
Applicants must account for the possibility that not every station they submit will be
recommended for funding. Therefore, Applicants must describe whether and how their
renewable hydrogen plan would change depending on the number and location of stations
ultimately awarded. Please also include information about whether and how costs might
change depending on the portfolio of stations ultimately awarded grant funding. For example,
the Applicant shall specify whether different technologies or more expensive equipment would
be used depending on the combination of stations awarded.
