As a founding board member of the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus Council, the RTC is working with other industry leaders to educate policymakers, regulators, and stakeholders on the benefits of hydrogen fuel cell electric buses. This includes buses that do not produce any greenhouse gas emissions, like gasoline or diesel.

The RTC has long recognized the need to reduce carbon emissions and has adopted a plan to transition to a 100 percent zero emission fleet of buses that use a combination of electric and hydrogen fuel cell technologies by 2035. In fact, this transition is already underway.

Thanks to a $3.8 million grant from the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) the RTC is working on fuel stations and has purchased two hydrogen fuel cell electric buses, which are expected to be in service by the end of this year. The RTC is also in the process of procuring four battery electric buses, with the option to purchase more than 100 additional vehicles.

As an agency, we are committed to investing in clean transit, and buying busses is only one part of the equation. Additional funding, provided through the federal infrastructure bill, is needed for the facilities, staffing and infrastructure a zero emission fleet needs to operate. This funding will enable the RTC to construct necessary charging and refueling infrastructure at our maintenance facilities, which is home to the RTC’s 800 fixed-route and paratransit vehicles that operate around the clock to keep Southern Nevada moving.

We know there is no place better suited to be the hub of the clean energy economy than Southern Nevada, and we are proud to be part of the change!