Energy Bill Prompts Industry to Expand Its Investment in Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology
July 17, 2006
05:24 PM
Washington, D.C. – The Freedom Car program and the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative along with the Energy Policy Act of 2005 have prompted the auto industry, fuel cell manufacturers and major oil companies to sharply expand their investment in hydrogen and fuel cell research, development and demonstration projects, according to witnesses at today’s full committee hearing on the impact EPAct has had on these issues.
General Motors alone has spent $1.5 billion on hydrogen research and development in recent years, according to the testimony which is available on the committee website at www.senate.energy.gov.
In particular, the bill’s emphasis on demonstration projects in real world public transit settings have made these projects a reality in California, Michigan and Texas where some buses and buildings are powered by fuel cells.
Chairman Domenici’s statement:
“I have always been a fan of big science. This is big science with tremendous promise. I agree with President Bush that hydrogen and fuel cells research may one day free us from Middle East oil. I was pleased to hear today that the energy bill is playing a key role in making that dream a reality.”
Senator Lamar Alexander’s statement:
“Hydrogen based transportation holds out the possibility that automobiles and other vehicles might be able to operate with a different type of engine, one that uses hydrogen and only emits water at the end. That’s a very tantalizing prospect for those who are interested in using less foreign oil, or less oil of any kind, and those who are concerned about clean air, as all of us are. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 authorizes an ambitious program of research development and demonstration of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.”
