The San Diego Unified School District may just play a role in making that vision come true.

The district was recently awarded a $1.25 million grant by the California Air Resources Board to design and build a hydrogen fueling station in Scripps Ranch. The station's primary focus will be to educate school children and the public about renewable energy.

If approved by the San Diego School Board and accepted by the community, the facility could open as early as December 2007 behind the new Marshall Middle School off Pomerado Road.

District officials have been in discussion with Alliant International University, which is next to Marshall, to build the station on university-owned property, but the university has yet to give its approval.

Both district and university officials emphasized the project is in a preliminary stage, and by no means a done deal.

The project is believed to be the first of its kind by a school district. Other public and private entities, including the city of Chula Vista, have built hydrogen fueling stations.

“We really think it's important to get it out there, so people can touch it, feel it and understand this is the technology of the future,” said Ellyn Hae, resource conservation manager at the district, who wants to inspire future generations to pursue careers in the renewable energy field.

“Instead of rocket scientists, we are going to have fuel cell scientists.”

School board member Katherine Nakamura, who represents Scripps Ranch, said she is excited about the project, but stressed that extensive community outreach must be done to address safety concerns parents may have.

The district is planning to hold community meetings in the coming weeks and create a committee to work on the project.

“I think people are going to want to know what this means for their kids in terms of safety. I think they will be happy to learn what this means for their kids in terms of education,” Nakamura said.

The California Hydrogen Highway Web site (http://hydrogenhighway.ca.gov/) describes hydrogen as “no more and no less safe than gasoline and other motor vehicle fuels.”

Nevertheless, school board member Mitz Lee said she would not be comfortable with having a hydrogen fueling station next to a school.

“I would support it if it's somewhere far away,” said Lee, who suggests that other vacant land the district owns should be considered.

The district already has had to deal with safety concerns at the new Marshall Middle School because the property was part of a military practice range, and it had to be swept clean of unexploded ordnance. Marshall is scheduled to open in September 2007.

JoAnn Milliken, acting manager of the hydrogen program at the U.S. Department of Energy, said hydrogen fuel is safe when handled appropriately, just as gasoline is safe when it's handled appropriately.

“We can engineer safe systems to produce, store and use hydrogen,” she said.

The San Diego project is envisioned to eventually include a visitors center, wind turbines, composters and other green features. The total cost is expected to be $10 million to $15 million.

After the fueling station is completed, the other elements would take several more years to complete and will be contingent on the district's ability to raise outside funds.

The district is partnering with private companies to build the fueling station. One of its partners is Air Products and Chemicals Inc., a multinational corporation.

Besides serving the district's needs, the station may cater to other public agencies, including the nearby Miramar Marine Corps Air Station. Miramar personnel would access the station from a back road so it won't impact traffic on Pomerado Road.

The station would have solar panels connected to a device called an electrolyzer that will create hydrogen from water. The facility is designed to dispense 39 kilograms of hydrogen per day.

Hae said that a bus would fill up its tank with 30 kilograms and a car with 3 to 5 kilograms. Given the limited capacity of the station, she doesn't expect traffic to be an issue.

Hydrogen cars are still in an experimental stage, and their prices have not fallen to a level where they are economical for the average consumer. Statewide, the Air Resources Board estimates there are 125 to 150 hydrogen cars in use, said Karen Caesar, a board spokeswoman. She said there are 25 hydrogen fueling stations throughout the state, but not all are public.

The demand for hydrogen is expected to go up once fueling stations are built and more people buy hydrogen cars.

The district's plan is to eventually add equipment to compost yard trimmings and food waste to generate hydrogen.

If built, the hydrogen fueling station would be the crowning achievement in the district's energy conservation program.

The district has already been recognized for incorporating state-of-the-art energy efficiency standards in building new schools.

J. William Naish, the district's energy/utility management section coordinator, brought solar energy to city schools by partnering with private companies to install photovoltaic panels on building roofs.

He pushed to improve recycling rates and replace old refrigerators in schools with more energy-efficient ones. The hydrogen fueling station is one of his latest ideas.