$41.9 million to spur growth of fuel cell markets

The Department of Energy expects that these funds will accelerate the commercialization and deployment of fuel cells, while also creating new jobs in fuel cell manufacturing, installation, maintenance, and support services.  The funding is geared to increase the capacity of fuel cells to provide power to vehicles, while cutting carbon emissions.

In a statement Secretary Chu said “developing and deploying the next generation of fuel cells will not only create jobs – it will help our businesses become more energy efficient and productive.  We are laying the foundation for a green energy economy.”

The $41.9 million in funding is expected to be used for immediate deployment of nearly 1,000 fuel cell systems for emergency backup power and material handling applications (e.g., forklifts) that have emerged as key early markets in which fuel cells can compete with conventional power technologies. 

The funding includes:

• $41.9 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to fund 13 projects to deploy fuel cells.
• Approximately $72.4 million in cost-share funding from industry participants—for a total of nearly $114.3 million.