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Patrice "Pete" Parsons
(The Woodlands, TX - July 6, 1998) Patrice "Pete" Parsons, formerly Associate Deputy Land Commissioner for Energy Resources at the Texas General Land Office, has joined the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) as program director of its new Fuel Cell Research and Applications Center. The program seeks to demonstrate the potential of state-of-the-art proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology through a project to be financed by Ken Hedrick with Artemis Capital and built in The Woodlands on the HARC campus.
A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts hydrogen and air into electric and thermal energy. Unlike a battery, the fuel cell will continue to provide electricity as long as a fuel is supplied to it. Because they can use any fuel source containing hydrogen, such as natural gas, methanol or ethanol, fuel cells operate more efficiently and have considerably lower emissions than combustion engines. Fuel cells offer great potential for reducing air pollution emissions and are expected to be the dominant power system for the 21st century.
Parsons is creating an industry-driven research center that will be governed and directed by corporate sponsors. Sponsors will have the opportunity to supplement and/or combine their current research on fuel cells with other types of research performed at the center, she said.
"Our initial objective will be to demonstrate the value of stationary fuel cell units in both small and large-scale applications," said Parsons. "We will look at issues including power quality and reliability, technology transfer and training as well as the development of long-term performance and emissions data. Of particular interest will be new incentive programs, such as tradable pollution credits and greenhouse gas reductions, as they relate to near-zero emission fuel cells."
Parsons said she believes that corporate sponsors will benefit not only from advancements in stationary power generation but also by the synergies with other applications such as automobiles and buses.
"HARC's historical approach has been to form collaborative research programs that allow participants to leverage their investments," said Dan Davis, HARC's chief operating officer. "We are now identifying potential collaborative partners and preliminary interest is quite strong."
Davis said that Parsons brings to her HARC assignment extensive experience in energy and environmental policy planning, program development and implementation. "Her background in creating and implementing marketing strategies, managing budgets and working with diverse government and constituent groups will bring added value and perspective to the project."
Before assuming her position with the Texas General Land Office, Parsons served as director of the Alternative Fuels Division and special assistant to the Commissioner. She has also served as director of the State Energy Conservation Office, State of Texas, and director of environmental programs at the General Services Commission. She has served on a number of boards in Austin focusing on education, health and cultural arts.
The Houston Advanced Research Center, founded in 1982 by George P. Mitchell, is a nonprofit, university-linked research institution with major research interests in energy, the environment, and policy studies. Since 1985 HARC has performed more than $135 million in research and currently attracts more than $13 million in industry and government support for its programs.
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| Page Updated/Reviewed: 07/06/1998 |
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