The second round of the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) Energy Infrastructure Incentives for Zero-Emission Commercial Vehicles (EnergIIZE) hydrogen funding lane will open for two weeks beginning at 9 a.m. PT on April 27 and lasting through 5 p.m. PT on May 12.
This funding lane follows the Electric Vehicle (EV) Fast Track funding lane application window, which awarded $10.4 million in incentives to applicants within minutes and is now fully subscribed.
The hydrogen funding lane offers the highest incentive funding cap of all four EnergIIZE funding lanes, covering 50% of eligible equipment and software costs for standard projects, up to $3 million per project. If the applicant also meets the Jump Start equity criteria, then 75% of eligible equipment and software costs are covered, with the maximum amount rising to $4 million per project.
Eligible equipment and software covered for funding includes compressors, liquid and gaseous pumps, piping and pipelines, high-pressure storage, chillers, meters, switchgears, and electrical panel upgrades.
To be eligible for funding, applicants must show proof that their projects are intended for medium- or heavy-duty hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, that refueling stations are capable of dispensing 350 or 700 bar, and that they meet ASME, ASTM and NFPA standards.
Applicants will be able to submit applications with supporting documents through an Incentive Processing Center at the opening of the application window. A Sandbox test application portal is available until April 21 to help prospective applicants familiarize themselves with the application process.
The hydrogen funding lane’s initial round of incentives opened last year, running for two weeks from late June 2022 through early July 2022. The incentive amount was $17 million and was fully subscribed during the application period. The upcoming funding lane represents a 74.7% increase in available funding for hydrogen projects.
“We are thrilled to open this funding lane once again to California applicants to help support the installation of hydrogen refueling infrastructure. We hope the increase in funding will attract more commercial fleets and help further increase the market acceleration of zero emission vehicles,” says Amy Gower, deputy director of EnergIIZE.
The EnergIIZE Commercial Vehicles Project is funded by the California Energy Commission and implemented by CALSTART and partner Tetra Tech. EnergIIZE, with a total authorized allocation of $276 million through 2026, provides incentives to purchase infrastructure equipment for medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles operated and domiciled in California.
For more information on the four funding lanes from EnergIIZE, see the EnergIIZE website.
