CALIFORNIA LEGISLATION - SB 150

Senate Bill 1505 (Lowenthal) was signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on September 30, 2006. The bill was written by Energy Independence Now and the Union of Concerned Scientists, and introduced and carried in the legislature by Senator Alan Lowenthal of Long Beach. Assemblymembers Fran Pavley and Ted Lieu later signed on as co-authors. This bill sets complete full fuel-cycle emissions standards for hydrogen used for transportation in the state in order to ensure emissions are reduced. The bill also requires a certain percentage of this hydrogen be produced from renewable sources. These are both critical steps towards ensuring that California’s hydrogen fuel is clean and sustainable. At the same time, the bill was written in such a way that it allows the hydrogen industry to grow in an economical manner.

Specifically, SB 1505 states that source-to-wheel emissions of greenhouse gases from vehicular hydrogen are reduced by 30% on a per-mile basis when compared to the average gasoline vehicle.  Source-to-tank emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and reactive organic gases (ROG) shall be reduced by 50% compared to gasoline baseline.  Source-to-tank emissions of toxics will be required to be reduced to the maximum extent feasible and at no time shall be permitted to exceed the gasoline baseline.  (New paragraph)  The bill also would require 33.3% percent of the transportation hydrogen be produced from eligible renewable sources.

Initially, these standards will only apply to those hydrogen production/distribution facilities that receive state-funds, however, these standards will apply to all hydrogen dispensed in the state if the total amount of dispensed hydrogen in the state exceeds 500,000 kilograms per year.

To view complete information on SB1505, including the bill’s text, status, history, legislative analyses, and vote records, click here.

To view a fact sheet for SB1505, please click here.

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