State Policies and Funding Offer Support to Fuel Cell Industry

Fuel cells deliver efficient and reliable power, while lowering emissions

Today the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) released a new report, 2014 State Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Policy Wrap-Up. This annual report aggregates recent state-level policies and funding opportunities that support the development and deployment of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies in a range of applications.


"Many states offer tax incentives, loans and grants to increase the uptake of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies," said Morry Markowitz, FCHEA's President. "The benefits of fuel cells – superior reliability, high efficiency, and low-to-zero emissions – make them ideal aids to state efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve power resilience, reduce grid demand, and diversify energy resources."

While federal funding has supported fuel cell and hydrogen RD&D efforts for over a decade, many states have also stepped up support for fuel cell and hydrogen technologies to reduce emissions, increase energy efficiency, and improve power reliability. The latest edition of the annual report highlights activities in 18 states and shows a significant increase in the number of policies and incentives compared to 2013. The number of states covered in the report has doubled, up from just nine states in the previous iteration of the report. Policies and incentives include:

• Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) - Eight states are working to develop a network of hydrogen fueling stations to support growing numbers of zero-emission FCEVs on their roadways.

• Power generation – A number of states offer funding to help businesses and municipalities deploy stationary fuel cells for distributed (on-site) power generation. Fuel cells assure power reliability for critical applications, resilient power in the face of storms, and produce lower greenhouse gas emissions than other power generation technologies.

• Economic stimulus – Several states are working to develop fuel cell manufacturing and supply chains to help build state economies and create jobs.

Fuel cells generate power electrochemically, without combustion, and emit only heat and water as byproducts. The technology is operating today in a range of applications that include power for both on-road and industrial vehicles, and primary and backup power for utilities, facilities, and off-grid sites.

The free report, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, can be downloaded from www.fchea.org/s/2014-States-H2FC-Policy-WrapUp.pdf.

The report authors are available for interviews or comments:
Sandra Curtin
scurtin@fchea.org / (202) 261-1338
Jennifer Gangi
jgangi@fchea.org / (202) 261-1339

Featured Product

Canadian Solar - HiKuBlack - Black Backsheet & Frame (Mono)

Canadian Solar - HiKuBlack - Black Backsheet & Frame (Mono)

Aesthetic appearance for residential systems: With black backsheet & black frame, Power range 380 ~ 405 W, Low power loss in cell connection. Enhanced reliability: · Low temperature coefficient (Pmax): -0.34 % / °C, LID LeTID less than 2.0%, Lower hot spot temperature, Better shading tolerance.