LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada held a special ceremony on Thursday, where officials unveiled the state's first hydrogen fuel cell electric bus.
The buses were funded by a $3.8 million "Low or No Emission" grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Each bus' fuel cell is powered by compressed hydrogen gas, something experts say is a "naturally abundant element."
"This technology does not emit greenhouse gases into the environment, resulting in only water as a by-product," RTC said in a release. "The vehicle also creates little to no noise while idle and in motion."
Thursday's event also featured RTC CEO MJ Maynard and other members of the agency's leadership team, including U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, U.S. Representative Susie Lee, Nevada Senate President Pro Tempore Pat Spearman, RTCBoard Chair and Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones, and RTC Board Member and Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman.
"This is just the next step in alternative fuel for the fleet," Rep. Susie Lee told Channel 13. "The RTC is leading the way with this technology, and in the past, they have led the way in transferring to natural gas and electric buses. This is another step toward making a completely renewable energy-based fleet."
Officials said the new buses are quieter than others and powered by naturally abundant compressed hydrogen gas.
"It's oxygen and hydrogen that gets put into a fuel cell that produces the electricity and water, which powers the vehicle," Maynard said. "You basically fill it by way of a pump, like we do our compressed natural gas buses that operate today."
The buses also do not emit greenhouse gases into the environment. The only by-product is water.
"We are committed to ensuring that we reduce our carbon footprint, Transportation is the largest emitter of greenhouses gases. In conjunction with efforts state-wide, when it was time to look at our Fleet Replacement Project, it made sense as the technology continues to improve, to transition from diesel to compressed natural gas to hydrogen fuel cell electric buses, as well as battery electric buses.
She added, "We're going to test all the technology."
There are said to be two zero-emission buses being added to the RTC fleet.
