CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD
NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING TO CONSIDER AN INFORMATIONAL REPORT ON ZERO-EMISSION VEHICLE (ZEV) CREDITS FOR SUPPLEMENTAL
ACTIVITIES: STATIONARY FUEL CELLS, HYDROGEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM CREDITS.
The Air Resources Board (ARB or Board) will conduct a public meeting at the time and place noted below to consider an informational report on ZEV credits for supplemental activities including stationary fuel cells, hydrogen infrastructure, and transportation systems.
DATE: | September 26, 2003 |
TIME: | 9:00 a.m. |
PLACE: | California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board Central Valley Auditorium, Second Floor 1001 I Street Sacramento, CA 95815 |
This item will be considered at a two-day meeting of the Board, which will commence at 9:00 a.m., September 25,
2003, and may continue at 8:30 a.m., September 26, 2003. This item may not be considered until September 26, 2003.
Please consult the agenda for the meeting, which will be available at least ten days before September 25, 2003,
to determine the day on which this item will be considered.
If you have special accommodation or language needs, please contact ARB's Clerk of the Board at (916) 322-5594,
or send an email to sdorais@arb.ca.gov as soon as possible. Text Telephone/Telecommunications
Device for the Deaf/Speech-to-Speech users may dial 7-1-1 for the California Relay Service.
OVERVIEW
At a public hearing on April 24, 2003, the Board considered and adopted amendments to the ZEV regulation. The Board
also directed staff through Resolution 03-4 to report back on providing ZEV credits for stationary fuel cells,
hydrogen infrastructure and station car/carsharing projects. These supplementary activities hold the potential
to enhance the commercial success of fuel cell and battery electric ZEVs. The report to the Board reviews the role
the ZEV regulation could play in promoting these activities and provides recommendations on whether changes to
the regulations are appropriate.
STAFF FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Stationary Fuel Cells
Bringing fuel cell vehicles to commercial success will require reduced cost, improvements in vehicle fuel cell
performance and durability, as well as vehicle system integration. The use of mobile source fuel cells in stationary
applications has the potential to foster overall fuel cell development through increased fuel cell production.
Specifically, increased production can foster development and cost reduction of materials and manufacturing as
well as providing additional operating experience. However, stationary fuel cells do not address all of the challenges
faced by fuel cell vehicles. The benefits to motor vehicle fuel cell development are limited. Additionally, staff
is concerned about the precedent of mingling stationary and mobile activities for regulatory compliance. The integrity
of ARB's motor vehicle regulations needs to be carefully weighed when considering whether or not to grant stationary
fuel cells ZEV credits.
Staff is hesitant to recommend ZEV credit for stationary fuel cells. However, if the Board chooses to award such
credits, staff believes the credits should:
Hydrogen Infrastructure
The development of hydrogen infrastructure to support deployment of fuel cell ZEVs is a critical challenge to the
successful implementation of the ZEV regulation. The ready availability of hydrogen fuel will be important to public
acceptance of fuel cell vehicles. In addition, the continued development of hydrogen production from renewable
or clean sources will be needed to achieve well-to-wheel emission reductions. It is expected that hydrogen infrastructure
will be deployed by energy companies. Since the ZEV regulation is a requirement for auto manufacturers, providing
ZEV credits for refueling stations targets the wrong sector. For this reason, staff recommends against the near-term
allowance of ZEV credit for any fueling infrastructure deployment. Instead, staff recommends that the Board take
the following steps to foster the development of hydrogen infrastructure:
Transportation Systems
Transportation systems, in the form of station car or car sharing programs, are valuable to ARB's efforts to improve
air quality. Coupled with use of ZEV regulation vehicles, such programs not only improve air quality, they support
commercialization of ZEVs. Staff recommends development of regulations that do not increase the value of the credits
for transportation systems, but do expand the types of projects that are eligible for these credits. Staff's specific
proposals are as follows:
CONCLUSION AND NEXT STEPS
Providing regulatory incentives in the form of ZEV credits for the supplementary activities described in this report
may provide benefits to ZEV development and deployment. However, care must be taken to avoid providing incentives
where no incentive is warranted, and to protect the balanced vehicle production requirements established in the
regulation to achieve commercialization.
If the Board decides that additional ZEV credits are appropriate, staff would begin a series of workshops and meetings
with affected parties to develop actual regulatory language. The final regulatory proposal would be published for
45-day public comment and would be brought to the Board for consideration by spring 2004.
Availability of Documents and Agency Contact Person
ARB staff will present a written informational report at the meeting. Copies of the report entitled "Zero-Emission
Vehicles (ZEV) Credits for Supplementary Activities: Stationary Fuel Cells, Hydrogen Infrastructure, Transportation
System Credits," may be obtained from the Board's Public Information Office, 1001 "I" Street, 1st
Floor, Visitors and Environmental Services Center, Sacramento, California 95814, (916) 322-2990, at least 10 days
prior to the scheduled meeting (September 25, 2003). The report may also be obtained from ARB's Internet site at,
http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/zevprog/2003rule/2003rule.htm.
Interested members of the public may present comments orally or in writing at the meeting, and in writing or by
e-mail before the meeting. To be considered by the Board, written comments submissions not physically submitted
at the meeting must be received no later than 12:00 noon, September 24, 2003, and addressed to the following:
Postal mail is to be sent to:
Clerk of the Board
Air Resources Board
1001 "I" Street, 23rd Floor
Sacramento, California 95814
Electronic mail is to be sent to zevsp03@listserv.arb.ca.gov and
received at ARB no later than 12:00 noon, September 24, 2003.
Facsimile submissions are to be transmitted to the Clerk of the Board at
(916) 322-3928 and received at ARB no later than 12:00 noon, September 24, 2003.
The Board requests, but does not require, 30 copies of any written submission.
Further inquiries concerning the substance of this matter should be directed to
Mr. Gerhard Achtelik, Air Pollution Specialist, 916-323-8973, ZEV Implementation Section, On-Road Controls Branch,
Mobile Source Control Division, P.O. Box 2815, Sacramento, California 95812.
No amendments to the ZEV regulation will be considered or adopted by the Board at this meeting.
CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD
//s//
Catherine Witherspoon
Executive Officer
Date: September 18, 2003
The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action
to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs see our
Web -site at www.arb.ca.gov.
Go to 2003 ZEV Program Board Activities Page