Northern Nevada will not be the first to jump on board the hydrogen fuel trend, but it could be the first for other reasons.
H2 Fuel Project Manager Dean Mottram says they are "determined to take a 100 percent roll out on our hydrogen vehicles and show how you can take alternative fuel vehicles and make them work on an everyday bases."
The H2 fuel project will use geothermal energy in northern Nevada and create hydrogen. That hydrogen will then fuel transit vehicles. RTC hopes to fuel ten of its access buses through this project initially. The total cost of the project is estimated at about $120 million.
In 2004, when the economy was in a much different state, Sen. Harry Reid helped support a $5.4 million earmark to go towards this hydrogen station. While the money is not a new expense, some people still feel there could be a better use of government dollars.
But, Mottram says the money will come from a federal grant, not local taxes. The project is still in its early stages and construction won't happen for a few more years. But Mottram believes it's a step in the right direction. And, it will not cost bus riders more to ride the hydrogen fueled buses.
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