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(Austin, TX - April 5, 2001) In the first public demonstration of pollution-free technology in Texas, a 3,000-watt hydrogen fuel cell was used on April 5 to power sophisticated air quality monitoring equipment used by Texas' environmental agency.
Senate Natural Resources Committee Chairman J.E. "Buster" Brown and Commissioner Ralph Marquez of the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) demonstrated the technology, which uses hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity and emits water as its only byproduct, in a public meeting in downtown Austin. Representing HARC was Bruce Rauhe, Technical Director of the Fuel Cell Research and Applications Center. Other state officials attending included Texas Railroad Commissioner Charles Matthews, State Sen. David Cain, State Rep. Debra Danburg, and EPA Region 6 Administrator Gregg Cooke.
The demonstration marked the culmination of efforts by the TNRCC, Texaco Energy Systems Inc., DCH Technology through its EnableTM Fuel Cell Corporation subsidiary, Air Products Corporation, HARC, IPS MeteoStar, the Texas Railroad Commission, and the Texas State Energy Conservation Office.
Texaco Energy Systems is funding phase one of the program to further study fuel cell applications, which focuses on clean air demonstrations in Austin. EnableTM worked closely with the TNRCC to design and produce the fuel cell. Air Products is providing the hydrogen fuel. HARC is serving as program manager.
Fuel cells are highly efficient, reduce transmission losses, and can operate with a variety of fuel sources including natural gas, methane gas, and propane.
The next phase of the demonstration project will involve the use of "reformer" technology to convert any hydrocarbon fuel into electricity to power the air quality monitoring equipment.
For more information about the fuel cell partnership, contact Ken Zarker at 512/239-3145.
All TNRCC News Releases are available at www.tnrcc.state.tx.us
See the story in the Houston Chronicle at http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/metropolitan/869708
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| Page Updated/Reviewed: 04/05/2001 |
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