Cal State Los Angeles received a $7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to upgrade the school’s hydrogen research and refueling facility, the school announced on Wednesday, April 3.
The grant is part of a federal effort to strategically deploy publicly accessible electric vehicle charging and alternative fueling infrastructure in places where people live and work, the school said.
Through the grant, the school’s Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility will be transformed into a cutting-edge, high-capacity hydrogen fueling station for vehicles, officials said.
The publicly accessible hydrogen station will service public customers and fleets, including the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.
“With multi-billion investments into the hydrogen economy, the Department of Transportation $7 million award opens a new chapter for the operation of the Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility,” David Blekhman, director of Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility, said in a statement.
“This funding creates opportunities for faculty and students to leverage research, workforce training, and industry collaborations.”
The hydrogen facility, which officially opened in 2014, is the largest such facility on a university campus in the United States that produces its own hydrogen on site, according to Cal State L.A. The facility is also capable of using renewable sources, such as solar and wind power for hydrogen production.
The award is part of a total of $623 million in federal grant funding that will expand the alternative fuel vehicle charging network, invest in major transportation corridors, and promote American jobs and leadership in the field, the school statement read.
“This funding will help ensure that EV chargers are accessible, reliable and convenient for American drivers, while creating jobs in charger manufacturing, installation and maintenance for American workers,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.
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