Hydrogen-powered ferry to debut in San Francisco

The future of sea travel could be here — and it might help save the planet. 

For more than a century, residents have traveled around San Francisco Bay with ferry boats powered mostly by diesel — a planet-warming fossil fuel. But now, the world's first hydrogen-powered passenger ferry, which produces zero emissions, is launching in the bay. 

"Instead of a big diesel engine spinning things to make power ... [it] just happens here in the fuel cells," said Jeff Sokolik, who works for All American Marine, the Bellingham, Washington, company that built the 75-passenger catamaran.