Island Transit Seeks Permission To Trade Hydrogen Buses For Hybrids

Island Transit formally requested approval from the Washington State Department of Transportation to use a $14.96 million federal grant, originally awarded for hydrogen fuel cell buses and fueling infrastructure, to purchase hybrid diesel electric buses instead. The request was reported on November 12, 2025, and marks a significant shift in the agency response to fuel availability and infrastructure realities on Whidbey and Camano islands.

Executive Director Melinda Adams told the News Times that eight hybrid buses, classified as low emission vehicles, were already on order and that 15 more vehicles were pending approval from the Federal Transit Administration. Island Transit received the grant in July 2024 to buy 12 hydrogen buses and the necessary fueling station as part of a transition toward deploying a zero emission fleet. Transit officials stepped back from committing to hydrogen when they found that locally available hydrogen supply was not assured.

Adams said Island Transit is "embarking on a long-range plan to determine the needs of our agency and the community." She added that the plan "will help identify resources needed to meet population and service demand for Island County communities." Those planning efforts are likely to shape whether the agency pursues hydrogen in the longer term, or continues toward emissions reductions with a mixed fleet that includes hybrids.

Neighboring agencies have taken different approaches. Lewis County Transit confirmed it already owns three hydrogen buses and expected three more in October. The agency is building its own hydrogen production and fueling station, a project estimated at seven to eight million dollars and funded largely through a combination of public and private grants. Lewis County Transit executive director Joe Clark emphasized that agencies must weigh operational costs and local fuel availability when deciding whether hydrogen makes sense. Clark described Lewis County as "committed" to hydrogen for heavy duty vehicles while using light duty and medium duty electric vehicles alongside hydrogen.

For Island County residents the immediate effects will be practical and local. Hybrid buses are intended to reduce emissions compared with traditional diesel, and the eight that are on order should enter service sooner than waiting for a hydrogen fueling network to be established. At the same time, the shift delays the county level transition to a fully zero emission fleet, and it leaves open questions about the eventual role of hydrogen if production and distribution improve.

The next steps hinge on federal and state approvals. Island Transit needs sign off from the Department of Transportation to reallocate the grant, and it is awaiting final decisions from the Federal Transit Administration on pending vehicle purchases. Until those approvals are resolved, Island County riders can expect a near term modernization of rolling stock with hybrids, while regional conversation about hydrogen infrastructure and long term climate goals continues.