Where Clean Energy Plans Fall Short

Across North America, public agencies are under pressure to decarbonize — and for good reason. From city transit to emergency response, the public sector is expected to lead the transition toward clean energy. But leadership can’t come at the cost of reliability. When winter hits, buses still need to run, hospitals still need backup power, commuters need destinations, and crews still need to clear the roads.

That’s where many well-intentioned clean energy plans start to unravel. Batteries lose efficiency in freezing temperatures, biofuels struggle with gelling, and grid-tied renewables can’t always deliver consistent power during long, dark winters. The result is a familiar frustration — the technology looks good on paper but falls short in practice.

The challenges are well documented. A U.S. Department of Energy study found that battery-electric bus range can drop by around 33% when temperatures fall to about –4 °C. A Cornell University analysis confirmed that electric buses in cold weather consume up to 48% more energy than in mild conditions. Even large-scale battery systems have struggled — at California’s Moss Landing energy storage facility, high-temperature shutdowns have caused major outages and operational setbacks.

Transit fleets have seen the same story play out. In Albuquerque, New Mexico, the city’s BYD battery-electric buses faced significant range and reliability issues during cooler months, forcing the agency to return several units. And in Chicago, the Chicago Transit Authority has publicly acknowledged that battery buses lose range in winter because so much power is diverted to cabin heating — requiring expensive mid-route fast-charging stations just to stay on schedule.

Hydrogen changes that equation. It’s clean energy that actually performs when conditions are at their worst.

Where Cold Weather Proves the Point

Cold climates have a way of exposing weak links. In temperatures below –20 °C, battery-electric buses can lose up to half their range, while hydrogen fuel cell buses typically see only a 20 to 25 percent drop — maintaining service without interruption. And once the fuel cell reaches operating temperature, that drop can be as low as 3 to 10 percent. When Toyota tested its fuel cell fleet in Yellowknife at –30 °C, every vehicle started immediately and operated normally — proof that hydrogen performs even in the most extreme conditions.

The same reliability shows up in other applications. In frozen warehouses, hydrogen-powered forklifts run all day while battery versions fade by mid-shift. In Whistler, British Columbia, hydrogen buses operated through the Olympic winter, refueling in under ten minutes and running up to 500 kilometers a day. And in Alaska, both the U.S. Postal Service and the Anchorage airport turned to hydrogen fuel cells for dependable backup power through severe cold spells.

Cold weather doesn’t stop hydrogen — it highlights why it’s different.

Clean Energy That Meets Public Sector Realities

Every public agency wants to cut emissions. The challenge is doing it without compromising uptime, safety, or fiscal responsibility. That’s why hydrogen is quietly becoming the preferred path forward for many municipalities and utilities — and this is exactly where ESSNA™ delivers its greatest value.

ESSNA™ helps public organizations move from hydrogen theory to hydrogen reality. Through on-site hydrogen generation and purification systems, we give agencies full control of their fuel supply — without the logistical complexity that has traditionally held back adoption. With ESSNA™, clean hydrogen is produced where it’s used: generated from renewable or off-peak grid power, stored safely for months, and available on demand. There’s no trucking, no third-party supply risk, and no dependency on the grid when it matters most.

Because ESSNA™ ties hydrogen production directly to electricity pricing — not volatile global fuel markets — agencies gain predictable budgets, stable costs, and long-term energy resilience. For municipalities managing aging infrastructure and tight capital budgets, that combination — zero emissions, dependable uptime, and economic stability — is rare. ESSNA™ makes it attainable.

Reliability, Resilience, and Continuity

If there’s one thing public services can’t compromise on, it’s continuity. Transit systems, water treatment facilities, and hospitals have to operate no matter what the weather brings. Energy reliability isn’t a luxury; it’s a duty.

Hydrogen allows agencies to meet that duty with confidence. Unlike battery systems, which depend on short-term storage and grid access, hydrogen can be stored in large volumes and converted to power instantly through fuel cells. It’s not just a cleaner fuel — it’s a resilient one, capable of powering fleets and facilities through blackouts, storms, or supply chain disruptions.

That’s why national governments are investing heavily in hydrogen infrastructure. Canada’s Hydrogen Strategy specifically identifies hydrogen as an ideal solution for remote and cold regions, where batteries underperform. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen Hubs Program is following the same path, funding projects that will power critical infrastructure with hydrogen across northern states. The direction is clear: hydrogen isn’t experimental anymore — it’s becoming the backbone of reliable, low-carbon energy systems.

Making Hydrogen Practical

For many years, access was the real barrier. Hydrogen technology worked — but producing and storing it efficiently wasn’t simple or affordable. ESSNA™, together with its platform 59Hydrogen.com, has changed that.

Through modular, on-site hydrogen generation and purification systems, public agencies can now produce fuel-cell-grade hydrogen directly where it’s needed — even in the harshest climates. There’s no reliance on delivered fuel, no large infrastructure overhauls, and no risky upfront investment.

The 59Hydrogen platform demonstrates just how scalable this technology can be — think of it as the “Amazon for hydrogen,” designed to make clean fuel ordering, production, and management as simple as operating any other essential service.

Whether it’s fueling transit fleets, powering maintenance operations, or providing backup energy for critical facilities, ESSNA™ and 59Hydrogen™ together make hydrogen accessible, modular, and ready for real-world public sector use — helping governments meet clean energy goals without ever compromising on reliability.

The Bottom Line

Cold climates have a way of revealing what really works; it's an acid test. For the public sector, that means moving beyond what looks sustainable to what actually is. Hydrogen performs where others don’t — delivering reliable, clean power in every season.

With ESSNA™, it’s never been easier to bring that reliability in-house.
Hydrogen isn’t the future; it’s what’s working now.

Ready to upgrade to On-Site Generation? Contact ESSNA™ today to learn how on-site hydrogen can transform your operations.

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