BOARD MEETING DATE: September 7, 2007
AGENDA NO. 36

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

Receive and file the attached report.

Roy S. Wilson
AQMD Representative to CaFCP

CALIFORNIA FUEL CELL PARTNERSHIP

Summary of Steering Team Meeting
June 19-20, 2007

Lake Arrowhead Resort
27984 Highway 189
Lake Arrowhead, CA 92352

SUMMARY OF AGENDA ITEMS

• The Steering Team meeting was chaired by Jan van Dokkum, President, UTC Fuel Cells. The February 2007 Decisions and Assignments were approved.
• Analisa Bevan, CARB, provided an update on the recent Technology Status report and potential amendments to the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) regulation. CARB directed staff to recommend the appropriate volume and timing for the next phases of fuel cell vehicle (FCV) development under the alternative path and identify alternatives to offset any changes, propose ways to encourage battery electric vehicle development, encourage commercialization of all electric and blended mode plug-in hybrid electric vehicles as ATPZEVs, review the credit provided to neighborhood electric vehicles, consider extending the time allowed for credit under travel provisions, and encourage vehicles cleaner than SULEV without providing ATPZEV credit. A Public Workshop is scheduled for July 24, with CARB hearing in December.
• Peter Ward, CEC, presented the draft Alternative Fuels Use Plan for hydrogen and fuel cell vehicles required by AB 1007 for milestone years 2012, 2017, 2022, and additional (non-regulatory) goals for 2030 and 2050. The goal for the long term scenario is 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Multiple fuels are included in the plan by CEC and CARB, which is available for public comment.
• Fred Joseck, DOE, provided an update on DOE’s hydrogen and fuel cell vehicle rollout scenarios. DOE has committed supportive research and demonstration funding to achieve technical and cost goals through 2015, but it is probably difficult to get to 2020 goals and beyond without additional support. DOE uses Prius sales growth as a base case example for ramp up; whereas, the CEC AB 1007 analysis uses it as an upper case example.
• Todd Suckow, Ford, provided a progress report on their program with DOE. Phase 1 started in 2004 and ends in June 2009. They have 18 Focus FCVs (350 bar) in demonstration in California, Florida, and Michigan. In Phase 2, they have 3 FCV platforms, the Focus (700 bar), the Explorer with 10 kg hydrogen storage, and the Edge plug-in hybrid fuel cell (which can get CARB credit as ZEV depending on range and refill time).
• A discussion session was held regarding the coordination of fuel cell vehicle demonstrations and hydrogen stations planned in California. Consolidating areas of automotive interest will help energy providers build more cost-effective stations. Energy providers like the large volume of hydrogen needed by buses, but designing customer friendly stations for both passenger cars and transit fleets is considered challenging. Periodic discussions will occur as plans progress.
• Jan van Dokkum, UTC, led discussion of proposed Steering Team meeting dates for 2008. Consensus of members preferred three meetings (same as 2007), with the schedule set February 19-20, 2008 in Sacramento, June 24-25, 2008 in Lake Arrowhead, and October 21-22, 2008 in Sacramento.
• Catherine Dunwoody, CaFCP, provided an update on leases. The lease for the W. Sacramento fueling station expires at the end of 2007. BP informed CaFCP staff that they no longer want to be involved in the lease, but would continue their other ongoing efforts in CA. This would leave Chevron and Shell to share the station costs, increasing their in-kind contributions to the CaFCP, unless another energy partner or associate member filled the gap. CaFCP staff will pursue multiple prioritized actions, provide updates to the Planning committee, and ask for further direction, in order to resolve this before the next Steering Team meeting in October. Facility leases for all the tenants have been extended for three years, except Honda. This leaves one empty bay, but CaFCP is exploring several new tenants to recommend to the building owner. Since AQMD approved in-kind use of three additional staff cubes at AQMD, but not a new outreach center, money previously approved by CaFCP to fund tenant improvements will not be needed at this time.
• Ed Kiczek, Air Products and Chemicals, expressed their interest in and qualifications for full membership in the CaFCP. APCI has been an associate member, but has already provided 21 fueling stations in CA (some mobile).
• The members were grouped by sector to discuss “What is the most important action other sectors should take to move forward, and how can our sector provide more help?” Sector discussions highlighted several issues. OEMs need accessible retail stations so early customers have a good experience, and stations should be scaleable as demand grows. Energy providers need to show their business case to justify investment which requires greater volume of vehicles per station, and land in the right locations. Government should coordinate multiple agency efforts better, provide sustainable funding for minimum necessary hydrogen stations, educate policy makers and insurance providers, and reduce funding strings and permitting requirements. Government needs better information from industry and lobbyists to understand priorities, timing, and costs in order to better coordinate efforts.
• Catherine Dunwoody, CaFCP, reviewed 2007 progress; so far all on track and within budget. CaFCP is conducting an Emergency Responder Workshop in Santa Monica the last week of June using the new ER Guide. CaFCP will continue to develop user communities and provide more user oriented information on the website.
• The members discussed and supported the proposal to increase member contributions from $83,800 to $87,800 in 2008. AQMD staff will prepare a request to the AQMD Governing Board to continue AQMD participation in the CaFCP at the new rate in 2008.
• The members supported all recommendations by the Membership committee regarding policy and inviting new members to join.
• Bob Sawyer, CARB, nominated, and the Steering Team unanimously elected Roy Wilson, AQMD, as CaFCP Vice Chair to serve the remainder of 2007 and complete the government sector term. A new Vice Chair to serve in 2008 will be elected at the October Steering Team meeting from among automotive sector members.
• Each member provided short updates about their recent activities. Roy Wilson, AQMD, highlighted AQMD’s support for ISE to restack the Ballard fuel cell bus for Sunline, extension of fuel cell vehicle leases with DaimlerChrysler and Honda, and electrolyzer restacking of to provide continued hydrogen fueling at AQMD.

The next CaFCP Steering Team meeting is scheduled for October 23-24 in Sacramento.

Additional information about the California Fuel Cell Partnership can be found at http://www.fuelcellpartnership.org.

Attachments (exe 71kb)
CaFCP Quarterly Update 1- January 2007 – March 2007
CaFCP Quarterly Update 2- April 2007 – June 2007