SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California is backing up its plan to have more publicly available hydrogen fueling stations with a $20 million annual commitment, Petrol Plaza News reports. The state’s plan to lower greenhouse gas emissions by a whopping 80% from 1990 levels by the half century mark has not gotten off to a great start, considering only nine such fuel-cell stations are up and running.

The Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program will provide $20 million per year for the next decade, with a goal of adding 100 hydrogen filling stations in the state. “One of the biggest obstacles to introducing fuel cell electric vehicles was the lack of fueling certainty,” said Professor Dan Sperling, who chairs the California Fuel Cell Partnership. Sperling is also a member of the California Air Resources Board. “No more. The passage of AB 8 sends a clear signal to automakers, consumers and others that California will launch a market for FCEVs.”

The California Fuel Cell Partnership, a group of automobile manufacturers, energy firms, government officials and fuel-cell businesses, said a dozen new hydrogen stations are slated to open early 2014, with another seven to shortly follow. “The Governor’s support for securing financing to start building significant numbers of hydrogen fueling stations in California is critical to the success of fuel cell vehicles in California, providing consumers the necessary assurance that the infrastructure will be there to support these green technologies,” said Gordon Fry, director of state relations for Global Automakers.

Part of the problem with funding and building alternative fuel stations has been lack of support from the public to buy such vehicles and U.S. automakers to build them. However, overseas, Daimler has committed to building a network of hydrogen filling stations.