• Clean Energy Fuels will design and build a private hydrogen station for Orange County Transportation Authority under a $27.5 million contract.
• The facility will support OCTA’s expanding hydrogen bus fleet and is scheduled for completion in 2028.
• OCTA plans to operate a fully zero-emission bus fleet by 2040, in line with California’s clean transit regulations.

Clean Energy Fuels has secured a $27.5 million contract to build a hydrogen fueling station for one of Southern California’s largest public transport agencies.

The Orange County Transportation Authority awarded the contract for a private station at its Garden Grove bus base. The facility will support OCTA’s expanding fleet of hydrogen fuel cell buses.

Clean Energy will provide design and construction services for the station. Its scope also includes upgrades to the surrounding facility, operations and maintenance services, and the supply of liquid hydrogen fuel.

The project is expected to be completed in 2028.

Hydrogen fleet set for fivefold expansion

OCTA currently operates 10 hydrogen fuel cell buses. The agency expects to add another 40 before the new station becomes operational.

That expansion would increase its hydrogen fleet to 50 buses and place greater pressure on local fueling capacity. Dedicated infrastructure is therefore becoming a central part of OCTA’s fleet transition strategy.

The authority also operates battery-electric and compressed natural gas buses. This mixed fleet allows the agency to test several lower-emission technologies while preparing for a broader shift away from conventional fuels.

OCTA plans to operate a fully zero-emission bus fleet by 2040. The target aligns with California’s Innovative Clean Transit regulations, which require public transit agencies to phase in zero-emission buses.

For fleet operators, the transition involves more than vehicle procurement. Agencies must also secure reliable fuel supplies, upgrade depots, train employees and manage new operating risks.

The Garden Grove project addresses several of those requirements through one contract. Clean Energy will remain involved after construction through fuel supply and station maintenance services.

Local project carries regional significance

OCTA serves a county with more than 3.1 million residents. Its responsibilities include bus operations, regional transport planning, rail programs and road improvement projects.

The agency operates, maintains and fuels buses from four locations. Garden Grove is one of those bases and will host the new hydrogen station.

Clean Energy is headquartered in Orange County and has previously developed hydrogen stations for other transit agencies in Southern California.

“OCTA has built a reputation as a forward-thinking transit agency that continues to invest in clean transportation technology,” said Alphonse Anderson, Senior Account Manager at Clean Energy. “As they expand their hydrogen fleet, we’re honored to help deliver the infrastructure that will support those operations for years to come. Clean Energy is headquartered in Orange County and has built hydrogen stations for other Southern Californian transit agencies, so being selected to build OCTA’s station locally makes this project especially meaningful for our team.”

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The award gives Clean Energy a long-term role in the project, rather than limiting its involvement to construction. That structure may help OCTA reduce operational complexity as it introduces more hydrogen vehicles.

It also places fuel availability and maintenance responsibility with an experienced station developer. Those factors are important because infrastructure reliability can directly affect bus schedules and service continuity.

Infrastructure becomes the next transition test

California’s zero-emission transport rules are driving investment across vehicles, depots and energy supply networks. Yet infrastructure remains one of the most difficult elements of fleet decarbonization.

Hydrogen buses can offer longer operating ranges and faster refueling than some battery-electric models. However, their economic and environmental performance depends on fuel costs, station utilization and the carbon intensity of hydrogen production.

For transit executives, the OCTA contract shows how fleet plans are moving into the implementation phase. Capital decisions must now account for fuel security, technology performance and long-term maintenance obligations.

Investors and infrastructure providers will also be watching whether larger bus fleets can improve station economics. Greater utilization could support more predictable demand for hydrogen suppliers and equipment companies.

The Garden Grove project will not resolve the broader debate over hydrogen’s role in public transport. It will, however, provide another large-scale test of whether dedicated fueling infrastructure can support dependable zero-emission services.

As transit authorities across the United States respond to climate rules and aging fleets, OCTA’s approach may offer a model for linking vehicle procurement with infrastructure, fuel supply and operational accountability.