The new private station, set to be completed in 2027 at GCTD’s Oxnard facility, will initially support five hydrogen fuel cell buses, with infrastructure designed to eventually service approximately 70 vehicles.
The shift toward a greener public transportation future in Ventura County, California, gained considerable momentum today with the announcement that Clean Energy Fuels Corp. has secured a key contract from the Gold Coast Transit District (GCTD). The agreement tasks Clean Energy with the design and construction of GCTD’s inaugural hydrogen fueling station, a pivotal piece of infrastructure in the agency's ambitious zero-emissions transition plan.
The contract also includes a five-year maintenance agreement for the new private station, which will be strategically located at GCTD’s existing facility in Oxnard. This development is a direct response to GCTD's vision to provide environmentally responsible public transportation, with a long-term goal of converting its entire fleet of approximately 70 vehicles to zero emissions by 2040. The initial phase of the project will see the new station fueling five hydrogen fuel cell buses.
This move deepens the long-standing relationship between the two entities, as Clean Energy currently maintains GCTD’s existing natural gas station and supplies the fleet of 61 buses with Renewable Natural Gas (RNG).
“Gold Coast Transit and Clean Energy’s partnership to bring healthier living for the people of Ventura County through clean-operating buses goes back years,” said Chad Lindholm, senior vice president at Clean Energy. “It is very rewarding to work with forward-looking transit agencies like Gold Coast and we are honored that they chose us to take them into hydrogen fueling and fuel cell buses.”
The catalyst for this significant infrastructure investment is a substantial financial award. GCTD was previously granted $12.1 million by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
Vanessa Rauschenberger, GCTD General Manager, expressed her enthusiasm for the project and the partnership. “We look forward to working with Clean Energy through the construction of a new hydrogen station and then rolling out our first zero-emissions fuel cell buses,” she stated.
The new hydrogen station is on track for completion in 2027. This timeline aligns with GCTD's ongoing efforts to comply with the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) Regulation, which mandates that all public transit agencies in California fully transition to zero-emission bus fleets by 2040.
By selecting hydrogen fuel cell technology, GCTD is investing in a solution that offers long driving ranges and relatively fast refueling times, which are crucial for maintaining efficient transit operations.
