The Land Use and Transportation Committee voted Jan. 12 to recommend to the full Board of Supervisors a building-code amendment designed to implement SB 1418 (2024) and create an expedited permitting process for hydrogen fueling stations.

Tate Hannah, Legislative Affairs Manager at the Department of Building Inspection, told the committee the ordinance (file 251024) implements state law requiring local jurisdictions to adopt a streamlined review process and an accompanying checklist for plan review and permitting of hydrogen fueling infrastructure. "SB 1418 requires local jurisdictions to adopt a local ordinance that would create a expedited streamline permitting process for hydrogen fueling stations and their associated infrastructure," Hannah said. DBI recommended the ordinance with no amendments and reported unanimous positive recommendations from its code advisory committee and the Building Inspection Commission.

When asked by Supervisor Bilal Mahmood whether any companies have applied, Hannah said DBI has received no applications and that "there are no hydrogen fueling stations in the city currently," noting a regional dip in active stations and that some previous sites had closed. Hannah said the state appears to be prioritizing hydrogen for certain uses such as long-haul trucking even if demand for passenger-vehicle hydrogen fueling remains limited.

Vice Chair Cheyenne Chen said she appreciated DBI's work and cautioned that hydrogen stations face significant challenges—high cost, reliability issues and limited infrastructure—and that making hydrogen economically and environmentally viable will require substantial technological innovation and government support. Chen said the ordinance addresses the permitting piece and she would support it.

There were no public speakers on this item. The committee passed the motion to recommend the ordinance to the Board of Supervisors by recorded voice: Vice Chair Chen, Supervisor Mahmood and Chair Melgar each voted "aye." The ordinance will move to the Board for further consideration.