The North County Transit District’s zero-emission buses are getting expensive – maybe even too expensive.
To comply with a state regulation that requires transit agencies to cut emissions from their vehicles, the district has started rolling out hydrogen fuel cell buses. But the agency’s officials say the fuel is so expensive, they can only afford to run a few hydrogen buses at a time.
Right now, NCTD currently buys its hydrogen gas from a company almost 100 miles away, costing more than $2,000 to fully fuel just one hydrogen bus. That’s 10 times more expensive than compressed natural gas and four times more expensive than diesel.
The concern: Those fuel costs could eventually threaten service levels. Officials say they might have to cut some services to keep a balanced budget.
The district is building its own hydrogen fueling station that will allow it to buy cheaper liquefied hydrogen and convert it on site, but that process isn’t cheap either. Some officials say the state should step in and help transit agencies cover these rising fuel costs.
Mayor Announces City Hall Reorg
In a memo to department directors on Monday, Mayor Todd Gloria shared new details about the reorg of his executive team and city departments.
Earlier this month we reported two of Gloria’s deputy chief operating officers left the city. It’s unclear whether they were fired or resigned.
Now, Gloria has replaced them with two new chief operating officers, Rania Amen and Bethany Bezak.
“This comes eight months after the elimination of the Chief Operating Officer position and reflects our ongoing effort to align our organization with this administration’s priorities,” Gloria wrote in the memo.
All the deputy chief operating officers have new titles too. The memo also details a consolidation of different departments, and the permanent appointment of a handful of directors.
Need a Gift Idea?
We’ve got you. Shop our new online store for Voice of San Diego merch. From hats to coffee mugs to sweatshirts — we’ve got it all!
Every purchase funds investigative journalism for a better San Diego. Shop now.
In Other News
- Legal payouts by the Sheriff’s Office to cover jail deaths and lawsuits from them were five times higher in 2025 than they were a decade ago, according to newly released data. The Sheriff’s Office will pay more than $50 million this fiscal year into a County fund that covers legal payouts compared to $8.3 million it paid in 2015. (Union-Tribune)
- A San Diego City Council committee approved a 30-year development blueprint for the College Area, projecting huge population growth, more public transit, more green spaces and a new campus town center. Now, it heads to the City Council. (Union-Tribune)
- And speaking of the North County Transit District, the agency will receive a $16.8 million federal grant to replace aging low-emissions compressed natural gas buses. (Union-Tribune)
- Correction: We updated yesterday’s Morning Report to correct Jim Desmond’s name.
The Morning Report was written by Tigist Layne and Mariana Martínez Barba. It was edited by Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña.
“Mayor Todd Gloria shared new details about the reorg of his executive team and city departments.”
please PLEASE do NOT use abbreviations like ‘reorg’. our language can be beautiful, but not with “words” like this.
so in the first story you note that new H2 busses are much more expensive to operate, and the final story notes that the agency is receiving a grant for MORE of them — but there’s no connection between the two!!