(The Woodlands, TX - November 14, 2001) A statewide task force convened yesterday at the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) to discuss ways the public and private sectors can work together to speed the commercialization of fuel cells in Texas.
News Conference participants from right:
Mayor Lee Brown, Rep. Tommy Williams, Commissioner Ralph Marquez, Dub Taylor, Alan Lloyd, Malcolm Jacobson, and Bruce Rauhe.
The Fuel Cell Commercialization Initiative, created by House Bill 2845, is charged with developing a plan to reduce the cost and increase the availability of fuel cells in Texas. "This is a win-win-win situation," said TNRCC Commissioner Ralph Marquez. "The science is there. The technology offers many benefits. And, we hope to unveil a plan by the end of next year to help spur the development of this young industry in this state."
Mayor Brown, a former HARC Board member, greets HARC founder George Mitchell on way to news conference.
Mayor Lee Brown said Houston, the nation's fourth largest city in population, will add 1.6 million people in the next 15 years. Clearly, we are going to need clean, dependable and efficient electrical systems for our cities, he said.
"Fuel cells are the leading alternative," Mayor Brown continued. "The City is moving ahead in identifying fuel cell usage at the airport and other facilities where it would be useful or appropriate. Also, we are in communication with other entities such as the Port of Houston that will surely benefit from its usage."
State Rep. Tommy Williams said that Texas needs cost efficient energy sources and that our elected officials remain very supportive of the commercialization initiative. Malcolm Jacobson, president, Fuels Cells Texas, said that fuel cells are environmentally benign energy source with tangible benefits. He added that commercialization is not far from realization.
Rep. Tommy Williams, Bruce Rauhe and Dub Taylor at Avista Labs fuel cell.
The State Energy Conservation Office (SECO), under the leadership of William "Dub" Taylor, has enlisted the guidance of the fuel cell industry, energy service companies, utilities and other state and local agencies in developing its recommendations to the state. Over the next 10 months, the task force will look for ways to encourage the manufacture, marketing and installation of fuel cells in residential, commercial or industrial applications.
"Just as Texas has been in the forefront in fossil fuels technology, we need to lead the nation and the world in clean fuel cell technology and manufacturing," said Rep. Debra Danburg, author of H.B. 2845. "As we commercialize the production of fuel cells, not only will we be cleaning the air and providing energy independence, but we will be creating jobs for Texans."
Senator David Cain, who sponsored the bill in the Senate, in a message sent to the task force, said a plan to commercialize fuel cells in Texas could help reduce air pollution and help create new markets for steel, electronics and electric generation industries.
Commissioner Marquez addresses task force.
Dr. Alan C. Lloyd, chairman of the California Air Resources Board, said that Texas' work on fuel cells can have a positive effect far beyond its borders. He explained that California is a founding partner in the Fuel Cell Partnership, a group pioneering fuel cells in automobiles as well as the Fuel Cell Collaborative, another group helping to introduce fuel cells in stationary source applications, including distributed generation.
"We know that, the more demand there is for fuel cells, the more quickly their prices will drop," Lloyd said. "The end result will be cleaner air, lower prices and a more stable supply of electricity."
Patrice "Pete" Parsons, director of development at HARC, said fuel cell technology has promise in both mobile and stationary applications. "Fuel cells are engines that produce energy without creating pollution," she explained. "The public hearings are important because perspectives from both industry and government will be shared. If we can determine what the impediments to commercialization in Texas are, then it may be possible to provide real incentives that can stimulate development," she said. "Quite simply, we must work together and act quickly."
(From left) Bruce Rauhe and Pete Parsons of HARC visit with HARC Board member Hank Hurst and Hydrogen Corp.'s Cameron Payne at Avista's Fuel Cell unit.
Bruce Rauhe, technical director of HARC's Fuel Cell Research and Applications Center, described the features of fuel cell prototypes from Avista Labs, Reliant Energy and DCH Technology on display at HARC. He said that eventually fuel cells will be a competitive power source, based on the value of their electrical and thermal output. However, he said, their commercial introduction can be accelerated by quantifying their environmental benefits and providing appropriate market incentives.
Population and industrial growth in the state's urban areas have increased the demand for reliable electric power. While small-scale distributed generation (DG) technologies can ease the strain on the electrical grid and reduce the potential for power outages, some DG technologies emit significantly more emissions per-kilowatt-hour than large central power plants and therefore would contribute to increased air pollution if widely used.
Public-Private Task Force meeting at HARC drew large industry crowd.
Fuel cells are the exception and hold significant promise to meet increased demand for power. Affordable fuel cell technologies are not quite ready for market. H.B. 2845, passed by the 77th Legislative Session, requires the State Energy Conservation Office to develop a plan by May of 2002 to accelerate the commercialization of fuel cells in Texas and to find ways to encourage their use in Texas homes and businesses.
CONTACTS:
Barbara Peyton, HARC, Public Affairs, 281-363-7908, bpeyton@harc.edu;
Charles Bredwell, Energy Efficiency Program Administrator, State Energy Conservation Office, 512-463-1947,512/463-1947, charles.bredwell@cpa.state.tx.us;
Dana Showalter, Ex. Dir., Fuel Cells Texas, dshowalter@goodcompanyassociates.com
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