World's first hydrogen-powered commercial ferry to run on San Francisco Bay, and it's free to ride

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The world’s first hydrogen-powered commercial passenger ferry will start operating on San Francisco Bay as part of plans to phase out diesel-powered vessels and reduce planet-warming carbon emissions, California officials said Friday, demonstrating the ship.

The 70-foot (21-meter) catamaran called the MV Sea Change will transport up to 75 passengers along the waterfront between Pier 41 and the downtown San Francisco ferry terminal starting July 19, officials said. The service will be free for six months while it's being run as part of a pilot program.

“The implications for this are huge because this isn’t its last stop," said Jim Wunderman, chair of the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority, which runs commuter ferries across the bay. "If we can operate this successfully, there are going to be more of these vessels in our fleet and in other folks’ fleets in the United States and we think in the world.”

Sea Change can travel about 300 nautical miles and operate for 16 hours before it needs to refuel. The fuel cells produce electricity by combining oxygen and hydrogen in an electrochemical reaction that emits water as a byproduct.

The technology could help clean up the shipping industry, which produces nearly 3% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions, officials said. That’s less than from cars, trucks, rail or aviation but still a lot — and it’s rising.

Frank Wolak, president and CEO of the Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association, said the ferry is meaningful because it’s hard to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vessels.

“The real value of this is when you multiply out by the number of ferries operating around the world,” he said. “There’s great potential here. This is how you can start chipping away at the carbon intensity of your ports.”

Backers also hope hydrogen fuel cells could eventually power container ships.

The International Maritime Organization, which regulates commercial shipping, wants to halve its greenhouse gas releases by midcentury.

As fossil fuel emissions continue warming Earth’s atmosphere, the Biden administration is turning to hydrogen as an energy source for vehicles, manufacturing and generating electricity. It has been offering $8 billion to entice the nation’s industries, engineers and planners to figure out how to produce and deliver clean hydrogen.

Environmental groups say hydrogen presents its own pollution and climate risks.

For now, the hydrogen that is produced globally each year, mainly for refineries and fertilizer manufacturing, is made using natural gas. That process warms the planet rather than saving it. Indeed, a new study by researchers from Cornell and Stanford universities found that most hydrogen production emits carbon dioxide, which means that hydrogen-fueled transportation cannot yet be considered clean energy.

Yet proponents of hydrogen-powered transportation say that in the long run, hydrogen production is destined to become more environmentally safe. They envision a growing use of electricity from wind and solar energy, which can separate hydrogen and oxygen in water. As such renewable forms of energy gain broader use, hydrogen production should become a cleaner and less expensive process.

The Sea Change project was financed and managed by the investment firm SWITCH Maritime. The vessel was constructed at Bay Ship and Yacht in Alameda, California, and All-American Marine in Bellingham, Washington.

Associated Press journalist Jennifer McDermott contributed to this report from Providence, Rhode Island.

The MV Sea Change, the first commercial passenger ferry powered by hydrogen fuel cells, is seen on the water, Friday, July 12, 2024, in San Francisco. The MV Sea Change will begin offering free rides to the public along the San Francisco waterfront on Friday, July 19. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

The MV Sea Change, the first commercial passenger ferry powered by hydrogen fuel cells, is seen on the water, Friday, July 12, 2024, in San Francisco. The MV Sea Change will begin offering free rides to the public along the San Francisco waterfront on Friday, July 19. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

The MV Sea Change, the first commercial passenger ferry powered by hydrogen fuel cells, is seen on the water, Friday, July 12, 2024, in San Francisco. The MV Sea Change will begin offering free rides to the public along the San Francisco waterfront on Friday, July 19. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

A person walks off the MV Sea Change, the first commercial passenger ferry powered by hydrogen fuel cells, Friday, July 12, 2024, in San Francisco. The MV Sea Change will begin offering free rides to the public along the San Francisco waterfront on Friday, July 19. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

The MV Sea Change, a hydrogen-powered ferry, is docked at the San Francisco ferry terminal Friday, July 12, 2024, in San Francisco. The zero-emission vessel will begin offering free rides to the public between the Ferry Building and Fisherman's Wharf on July 19. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The president of South Florida's police union said Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill was handcuffed and placed face down on the ground during a traffic stop because he was not “immediately cooperative” with officers, but Hill said he was respectful throughout the interaction.

Steadman Stahl, president of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, said Hill was “redirected” to the ground after refusing to sit when he was briefly detained outside the Dolphins' home stadium in an incident that resulted in one officer being immediately placed on administrative leave amid an internal investigation.

Passing fans and some teammates saw Hill in handcuffs with at least three officers around him following the stop that quickly went viral just hours before the Dolphins kicked off their season Sunday.

Hill later said he didn't know why the officers placed him in handcuffs.

“I have no idea, for real,” Hill said. “I wasn’t disrespectful because my mom didn’t raise me that way. Didn’t cuss. Didn’t do none of that. So like I said, I’m still trying to figure it out, man.”

Stahl said Hill was handcuffed according to the police department's policy.

“At no time was he ever under arrest,” Stahl said in the statement. "He was briefly detained for officer safety, after driving in a manner in which he was putting himself and others in great risk of danger.

“Upon being stopped, Mr. Hill was not immediately cooperative with the officers on the scene who, pursuant to policy and for their immediate safety, placed Mr. Hill in handcuffs. Mr. Hill, still uncooperative, refused to sit on the ground and was therefore redirected to the ground. Once the situation was sorted out within a few minutes, Mr. Hill was issued two traffic citations and was free to leave.”

Miami-Dade police still aren’t saying what infraction Hill was cited with — he said they told him he was stopped for speeding and reckless driving — but they have confirmed that Hill’s teammate Calais Campbell, who was also briefly detained, wasn’t cited. The officer who detained Hill has been placed on administrative duty, pending the findings of the internal investigation, which is normal procedure.

Miami-Dade Police director Stephanie Daniels told the Miami Herald on Monday that the decision to place the officer on leave came after a review of the body camera footage from the roadside incident.

The Miami-Dade police department has declined an Associated Press request for the footage, citing the ongoing internal investigation.

Daniella Levine Cava, the mayor of Miami-Dade County, released a statement commending the department's immediate launch of an investigation.

“In recent years, our nation has confronted important conversations on the use of force," she said, “and the internal review process will answer questions about why the troubling actions shown in public video footage were taken by the officer.”

Hill's teammate, Campbell, was also briefly handcuffed after he said he tried to de-escalate the situation. Campbell said he was on his way to the game when he saw Hill handcuffed.

“They were trying to yank him down to the ground,” Campbell said Monday on ESPN. “I saw them kick him and pull him down ... I feel like one officer was pushing on his head.”

Campbell said he got out of his car with his hands up above his head and approached the scene, informing officers that he was a friend of Hill's. He remained at the scene to “support” Hill after he said officers asked him to leave. Police later placed him in handcuffs for “disobeying a direct order" by being too close.

Campbell said tight end Jonnu Smith and later receiver Odell Beckham Jr. were also there to support Hill, who repeated to them, “Don't leave me.”

Hill, 30, who is Black, said he wondered what would have happened to him if he weren't an NFL star. Some of his teammates who are also Black said they were used to seeing that sort of interaction.

“Excessive force on a Black man, that’s not uncommon," said safety Jevon Holland. "It’s a very common thing in America. So I think that needs to be addressed at a country-wide level.”

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Monday he was upset by the situation. McDaniel appeared to fight back tears as he reflected on the incident.

“It’s probably more visceral because, yes, I do spend a lot of time prioritizing empathy, and when you know you can’t truly understand, the unknown is what crushes me,” McDaniel said. "I can only forecast, and so my forecast — what if it’s worse?”

Gov. Ron DeSantis, speaking at an unrelated event in Miami Lakes, Florida, on Monday, said he thought it was “appropriate” for the investigation into the officers’ conduct to be opened.

“I was pleased to see he did well in the game and it was good for the team, what happened on the field,” DeSantis said. “I have confidence in agencies throughout this state that they want to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and if for some reason that wasn’t followed here I know they will make that clear. But I’ll let that investigation take place.”

In May, golfer Scottie Scheffler was arrested and taken to jail after being accused of not following police orders during an investigation of a pedestrian fatality outside Valhalla Golf Course in Louisville during the PGA Championship. Criminal charges against the Masters champion were later dropped.

This isn’t the first off-field incident involving Hill.

He was accused of punching his girlfriend in college and got kicked off the team at Oklahoma State, later pleading guilty to domestic assault and battery by strangulation. In 2019, prosecutors in suburban Kansas City declined to charge Hill after an alleged domestic violence incident involving his fiancée and their 3-year-old child.

Last offseason, Hill was under investigation by Miami-Dade police for assault and battery after it was reported that he got into an argument with a South Florida marina worker, which apparently ended with Hill hitting the worker. Hill and the man later resolved their dispute.

Associated Press Writer David Fischer contributed to this report.

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Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) pretends to put wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) in handcuffs as they celebrate Hill's touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill speaks during an NFL football post game news conference, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. The Dolphins defeated the Jaguars 20-17. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)