Clean Energy to build Gold Coast Transit’s first hydrogen station
New facility in Oxnard will support the agency’s shift toward a zero-emission bus fleet by 2040.
Clean Energy Fuels Corp. has been selected to design and build the first hydrogen fueling station for Gold Coast Transit District (GCTD), marking a significant step in the Ventura County agency’s transition to zero-emission buses.
Under the newly awarded contract, Clean Energy will construct a private hydrogen station at GCTD’s Oxnard facility, with completion expected in 2027. The agreement also includes five years of maintenance services. The station will initially support five hydrogen fuel cell buses, with plans for the agency’s full fleet of approximately 70 vehicles to shift to zero-emission technology by 2040.
The project is being supported by $12.1 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration, which GCTD received to build the station and purchase fuel cell buses.
GCTD General Manager Vanessa Rauschenberger said the move aligns with the district’s long-standing commitment to cleaner transportation. “Transitioning our fleet to include hydrogen-powered buses will enable us to provide Ventura County with even greener transportation options in the years to come,” she said.
Clean Energy already provides renewable natural gas for GCTD’s fleet of 61 buses and maintains the agency’s existing natural gas station. The expansion into hydrogen represents a new chapter in the companies’ long-standing relationship.
GCTD serves several cities across Ventura County, including Oxnard, Ventura, Port Hueneme, Ojai and unincorporated areas. The hydrogen project is part of its broader plan to reduce emissions and modernize its transit operations.
