James Kast

General Manager, Iwatani

James Kast is General Manager of Hydrogen at Iwatani Corporation of America, where he leads hydrogen business development and infrastructure strategy for one of the world’s largest hydrogen suppliers and fueling operators. Based in California, Kast works on expanding hydrogen production, distribution, and fueling infrastructure to support the growth of zero-emission transportation and the broader hydrogen economy in the United States.At Iwatani, Kast has played a key role in advancing the company’s growing hydrogen fueling network across California, including projects supporting both light-duty fuel cell vehicles and heavy-duty transportation applications. His work focuses on developing scalable hydrogen ecosystems through partnerships with automakers, utilities, state agencies, and infrastructure developers. He has also been actively involved in efforts tied to California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard and long-term decarbonization strategy.Prior to joining Iwatani, Kast spent several years at Toyota supporting the company’s hydrogen and fuel cell initiatives in North America. His work included advancing adoption of the Toyota Mirai fuel cell vehicle and supporting Project Portal, Toyota’s hydrogen-powered Class 8 truck program designed to demonstrate zero-emission freight transportation solutions.Earlier in his career, Kast served as a Science and Technology Policy Fellow supporting the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fuel Cell Technologies Office, where he worked on hydrogen and fuel cell policy, research coordination, and clean energy technology initiatives.