Fuel Cell Nation

DOE - Why Cost Sharing?

A week ago the U.S. Department of Energy came out with a solicitation announcement for up to $74 million in funding to support the research and development of fuel cells for stationary and transportation applications. Why do they have 20% cost sharing for the Fuel Cells R&D topic area, when fuel cells are not yet commercial! I thought their job was to promote not-yet-commercial technologies, and get cost sharing when doing demonstrations?

Too Much Hype About Fuel Cells

I have been working in technology development for years, most recently in electrochemistry and fuel cells, and see fuel cells' promise in the long term. Unfortunately, too much hype in the near term will lead to the public's perception of them as some form of green Snake Oil, as promises are not kept.

Georgia Tasker in the Miami Herald  has a puff piece detailing a Hydrastax 5000 (five kilowatt) residential fuel cell demonstration in Miami. Demos are good, but some rosy claims are quoted from the National Hydrogen Association (NHA). The NHA's Patrick Serfass is quoted as saying "hydrogen powers 200,000 to 300,000 cellphone towers in the United States." Hopefully, Patrick meant to say "could power", and Georgia merely misquoted him. A brief search shows that a total of 200,000 to 300,000 cellphone towers are estimated to be in the US. I don't think that they all are hydrogen-powered.

Not to beat a dead horse, but for years the public has heard some form of "in 10 years automotive fuel cells will be commercially available..."

Just sayin'.