Cole Warns Pasadena Would Take ‘Giant Step Backwards’ with Hydrogen Bus Plan

Councilmember Rick Cole is warning that Pasadena would be “taking a giant step backwards” if the city moves forward with plans to purchase hydrogen-fueled buses for its transit fleet.

“Buying hydrogen-fueled buses would be a giant step backwards for Pasadena’s commitment to environmental sustainability,” Cole said ahead of Monday’s vote. “Supposedly these would be fueled by ‘green hydrogen’ but that’s just a misleading marketing slogan — it doesn’t exist in the real world. That’s why our Environmental Advisory Commission questions the costly ‘burden on local taxpayers’ and the ‘safety, reliability and climate efficacy’ of the shift. I will be strongly opposing moving forward with a choice that is more costly and worse for the environment.”

The city’s Environmental Advisory Commission, in a July 9 letter to the council, urged Pasadena to reconsider. While commending the city’s climate goals, the commission flagged hydrogen as “costly, unreliable and less sustainable” compared with battery-electric buses.

The memo noted that hydrogen would require trucking fuel into the city — creating new emissions and safety concerns — while true “green hydrogen” remains unavailable at scale. The commission also warned of financial risks, citing higher per-bus costs and limited manufacturers, which could leave Pasadena dependent on a narrow supply chain.

Battery-electric buses, the commission wrote, provide a “lower-risk and more scalable path” to zero emissions, since they can plug into Pasadena’s existing electrical grid and increasingly renewable energy sources. The group recommended that the council commission a new comparative analysis before committing to hydrogen.

“Unlike battery electric vehicles, which can be charged using local grid electricity and increasingly renewable sources, hydrogen fuel must be imported by truck,” the commission wrote in correspondence to the City Council. “This introduces both cost and reliability risks in addition to undermining climate benefits. Each delivery entails truck traffic (likely diesel trucks) through Pasadena’s residential neighborhoods and along freeways, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and road safety risks.”

Consistent with the City Council’s 2023 Zero?Emission Bus Rollout Plan—which calls for fuel?cell electric buses for Pasadena Transit’s fixed?route service and battery?electric buses for Dial?A?Ride—staff are recommending the City authorize purchase of 17 fuel?cell electric buses. The recommended contract totals $32,050,255..

The council will weigh those options Monday, balancing state mandates, climate goals and local fiscal pressures as it chooses the future of Pasadena Transit.