Berkeley - Investing
in renewable energy such as solar, wind and the use of municipal and agricultural waste
for fuel would produce more American jobs than a comparable investment in the fossil fuel
energy sources in place today, according to a report issued today (Tuesday, April 13) by
researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.
"Across a broad range of scenarios, the renewable energy
sector generates more jobs per average megawatt of power installed, and per unit of energy
produced, than the fossil fuel-based energy sector," the report concludes. "All
states of the Union stand to gain in terms of net employment from the implementation of a
portfolio of clean energy policies at the federal level."
Daniel Kammen, a professor in UC Berkeley's Energy &
Resources Group and Goldman School of Public Policy, and head of UC Berkeley's Renewable and
Appropriate Energy Laboratory (RAEL), directed the team that reviewed 13 previous
reports that looked at the economic and employment impacts of the clean energy industry in
the United States and Europe. Though the independent studies used a range of different
methods that made comparison difficult, their uniform conclusions held up under scrutiny,
he said.
"Renewable energy is not only good for our economic security and the
environment, it creates new jobs," Kammen said. "At a time when rising gas
prices have raised our annual gas |
bill to $240 billion, investing in new clean energy technologies would
both reduce our trade deficit and reestablish the U. S. as a leader in energy technology,
the largest global industry today."
Kammen released the report at a forum in Seattle on the New
Apollo Energy Project, an initiative to replace the energy bill now languishing in
Congress with a new bill emphasizing energy independence and weaning the country from a
reliance on imported fossil fuels by 2010. The project is spearheaded by U.S.
Representative Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), sponsor of the day-long forum at Seattle's Jackson
Federal Building.
The UC Berkeley report found that a comprehensive, coordinated
energy policy works best, emphasizing not only renewable energy sources but also energy
efficiency and sustainable transportation. These, it said, "yield far greater
employment benefits than supporting one or two of these sectors separately."
"While certain sectors of the economy may be net losers,
policy interventions can help minimize the impact of a transition from the current fossil
fuel-dominated economy to a more balanced portfolio that includes significant amounts of
clean energy," the report continued. "Further, generating local employment
through the deployment of local and sustainable energy technologies is an important and
underutilized way to enhance national security and international stability." more |
|
CANADA
FORD BALLARD
B.C. HYDRO DYNETEK
DAIMLERCHRYSLER METHANEX HYDROGENICS PUROLATOR COURIER
CITY OF VANCOUVER NATIONAL RESEARCH
COUNCIL CANADA FUEL CELLS CANADA
NATURAL RESOURCES CANADA UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA |
CANADA
BLASTS OFF
"SPACE RACE"
TO HYDROGEN ECONOMY
"At the height of the space
race a challenge was issued to conquer the frontier of outer space. A futuristic vision,
somewhere no one else had been. Today I suggest we are in a similar space race. A
race to clean sustainable living space on earth. The challenge before us is to be first
along this promising new highway, first to bring its benefits to Canadians and
people the world over."
Prime Minister Paul Martin, Canada
|
Prime
Minister Commits $6 Million (CDN)
of New Projects for Hydrogen Highway
Amy Carmichael Canadian Press April
1, 2004 |
| Purolator Courier will work with
Toronto's Hydrogenics Corp. to develop and test a fuel cell delivery vehicle at one of its
depots in the Toronto area. ...Dynetek Industries will get support to develop a new
hydrogen valve which it hopes will lead to longer vehicle ranges and reduce system costs.
|
Hydrogen Highway
Could Stretch from Whistler to Los Angeles
The Province March 31, 2004
Prime Minister Paul Martin to
announce new gas stations at Whistler, UBC, downtown Vancouver and Vancouver airport will
supply fuel-cell cars.
...The plan, backed by the National research Council, B.C. Hydro and
Methanex Corp., is to ultimately link Whistler to California in time for the 2010 Winter
Olympics. ...Canadian fuel-cell companies have also proposed to build a hydrogen highway
along a heavily travelled 900-kilometre corridor between Windsor, Ont., and Montreal as
the first step toward a possible national network of stations. |
|
|
Ford to
Test Fuel-Cell Cars in Vancouver, Canada
Toronto Star March
25, 2004 |
|
Ford of Canada will put four hydrogen-powered Focus subcompact cars on the roads of
Vancouver this year in a real-world test of fuel-cell technology, the company's president
said today. Alain Batty said Vancouver was chosen for the long-term test because
fuel-cell pioneer Ballard Power Systems, in which Ford has an ownership stake, is based
here. ...Batty said the little fleet of cars, which will run on a combination of
Ballard fuel cells and batteries, would be tested for a couple of years. At least
one will go into the hands of the City of Vancouver... |
Preparing for the Second Century
Alain Batty
President and CEO Ford of Canada, Ltd.
to the Vancouver Board of Trade
"The cars in this program will be
hybrid-electric fuel cell versions of the Ford Focus, utilizing a BC-made Ballard fuel
cell engine and a Dynetek compressed hydrogen storage tank from Alberta. The Focus Fuel
Cell Vehicle employs a regenerative braking system to capture energy lost through braking
and improve overall efficiency and range and an advanced nickel metal-hydride battery for
energy storage.
"...Given the leadership capabilities of the Canadian fuel cell
and hydrogen industry and the important role the government of Canada has played in
working with Ballard Power Systems and Ford to introduce and develop fuel cell engines as
an advanced powertrain option for high-efficiency vehicles – it’s fitting that
one of the key fleets be placed in an important Canadian market like Vancouver."
March 25, 2004 |
"The Hydrogen Economy"
Is the Hydrogen Economy the magic bullet its backers claim it
to be?
An Audio Roundtable Discussion by the Amsterdam Forum
Hosted by Radio Netherlands
April 1, 2004 |
| ILLINOIS ILLINOIS COALITION
ILLINOIS 2 H2 INSTITUTE OF GAS TECHNOLOGY ILLINOIS
CLEAN ENERGY FOUNDATION NATIONAL FUEL CELL BUS TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE
FUTUREGEN |
 |
The
Hydrogen Highway
Illinois' Path to a Sustainable Economy and Environment
Illinois Coalition
March 24, 2004
The Hydrogen Highway will be made up of an assortment of specific projects, each
uniquely tailored to reach the needs of Illinois citizens and to provide maximum economic
and environ-
mental benefit to the state. The projects are organized to reflect a
commitment to fuel source diversity, end user diversity, and |
transportation
infrastructure needs. Below are some suggested projects: [Excerpts]
- Ethanol 2 Hydrogen Fueling Station
Illinois 2 H2 recommends that at least one node on the Hydrogen Highway
should generate hydrogen using ethanol as a feedstock either by retrofitting an existing
E85 fueling station or by developing a new ethanol to hydrogen fueling station.
- Coal 2 Hydrogen
Illinois 2 H2 believes the state should look at ways to demonstrate the
viability of hydrogen produced from Illinois coal. This could be done by securing the
FutureGen project, or by gasifying coal at a remote location and transporting the hydrogen
to a fueling station.
- Nuclear 2 Hydrogen
Two world class research teams in Illinois at Argonne National Lab and
Northwestern University are exploring methods to electrolyze water using nuclear power.
Illinois 2 H2 believes this research could benefit substantially from real world test data
to explore the economic and environmental costs of deriving hydrogen from existing nuclear
capacity.
- 21st Century
Farm
Illinois 2 H2 believes the 21st Century Farm project would be a viable
demonstration of a fully energy independent, autonomous farm of the future. The farm could
capture renewable energy sources available on the farm including biogas, methanol, solar
and wind power to produce energy to heat and power the farm as well as produce hydrogen to
power next generation emission free farm equipment.
- 21st Century
Subdivision
Recent advancements in the technology of “intelligent
generation” have paved the way for the demonstration of “smart” houses and
subdivisions that use a combination of wind, solar, natural gas, and grid power to produce
electricity, heat, and hydrogen in the most efficient possible manner, using various input
factors such as price and the availability of wind and solar power. Illinois 2 H2
recommends a partnership between the real estate industry, government, and academia to
develop the first in the world demonstration of this concept in the near future.
- 21st Century
Subsidized Housing
A demonstration project would likely be a Chicago multi-family apartment
building developed with advanced energy systems in place for the low income consumer. This
project could be used to educate local officials, the building community, and energy
consumers.
- 21st Century
Public Transport
Illinois 2 H2 believes it is time for Chicago to regain its leadership
position in the hydrogen economy by agreeing to place fuel cell buses back in service in
2005. This time, the buses will be significantly more cost competitive and can highlight
more Illinois technologies including the possibility of using ethanol as a fuel source for
the hydrogen.
- 21st Century
Airport
Illinois 2 H2 believes the Northwest Chicagoland Airport located just
outside of Rockford would be an ideal test site for hydrogen demonstration projects
including the use of hydrogen powered vehicles to reduce emissions and the use of fuel
cells to provide uninterruptible combined heating and power to airport buildings.
|
Illinois 2 H2 Partnership Releases
Hydrogen Highway Plan
U.S. Newswire/Illinois
Coalition March 29, 2004
Energy Official
Upbeat on Illinois Ability to Compete for FutureGen Coal Plant Dennis Conrad Northwest Illinois Times March 26, 2004
FutureGen: Tomorrow's
Pollution-Free Power Plant U.S. Dept of
Energy |
| EUROPE |
"Uh-oh..."
European Commission March 18, 2004
 New European Union
Hydrogen and Fuel Cell
"Quick Start" Initiative |
"Although
hydrogen represents a bridge to a sustainable energy future, it is also a revolutionary
technology. It signals major changes in the way we produce, distribute and use energy.
Complex transition strategies have to be worked through, involving heavy investments and
building consensus between key players. This is why the Commission is launching an
ambitious 'Quick start' initiative to contribute to the achievement of the Technology
Platform's vision. This initiative will be composed of a coherent set of partnerships
involving large scale research and lighthouse demonstration projects of hydrogen systems
and facilities. The purpose is to accelerate the commercialisation of hydrogen
technologies during the next decades making a reality for European citizens of the
promises it holds."
Commissioner Philippe Busquin
European Commission |
| The first quarter of this year is
seeing the launch of many new research projects for hydrogen and fuel cells. After the
first call for proposals of FP6 the Commission is now awarding ten contracts worth about
€62 million of EU funding in the field of hydrogen and six contracts worth €30
million for fuel cells. more |
The knowledge component of the programme
foresees, in principle, two major ten-year partnerships involving research, development,
demonstration and deployment for hydrogen production and use in communities.
The first should explore the potential of producing hydrogen as
a means of de-carbonising today's fossil fuels and therefore its potential to bridge to a
future hydrogen economy.
It aims at advancing cutting-edge research to build a full scale
testing and demonstration plant able to produce hydrogen and electricity at an industrial
scale and to separate and store safely the CO2 generated in the process.
The second project should be a lighthouse project to orient and
align
research and technological development towards exploring the feasibility, from the
safety and economic point of view, of managing "hydrogen energy communities" the
"hydrogen village". The aim is to deploy centralised and decentralised hydrogen
production and distribution infrastructure, autonomous and grid-connected hydrogen power
systems, a substantial number of hydrogen powered vehicles and fuelling infrastructure,
and explore different production pathways such as renewable primary energy sources,
notably wind and biomass. It will constitute a test bed for demonstration of leading edge
technology.
At present the budget for these projects is €1.3 billion
and €1.5 billion respectively, where public funds should be matched by private
investment. |
|
| Contracts related to
hydrogen technologies awarded, or under negotiation, in the first call for proposals of
the 6th Framework Programme (FP6) |
Area |
Project
Acronym |
Type
of
Action1 |
Topic |
EU
Indicative funding2
(M€) |
Co-ordinator |
| H2 production |
HYTHEC |
STREP |
Water splitting through High
Temperature
thermochemical cycles |
1.9 |
CEA
(France) |
|
CHRISGAS |
IP |
H2 rich gas from biomass |
9.5 |
Växjo University
(Sweden) |
|
Hi2H2 |
STREP |
High temperature solid oxide water
electrolyser |
0.9 |
EDF
(France) |
| H2 pathways |
HYWAYS |
IP |
Elaborating a European Hydrogen Roadmap |
4 |
L-B-Systemtechnik
(Germany) |
|
NATURALHY |
IP |
Investigating infrastructure
requirements for H2 and natural gas mixes |
11 |
Gasunie
(The Netherlands) |
| H2 storage |
STORHY |
IP |
Next generation storage technologies
for on-board applications |
10 |
Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik
(Austria) |
| H2 safety |
HYSAFE |
NOE |
Networking research in safety issues |
7 |
FZK Forschungs -zentrum Karlsruhe
(Germany) |
| H2 end use |
ZERO REGIO |
IP |
H2 FC fleet demonstration |
7.5 |
INFRASERV
(Germany) |
|
PREMIA |
SSA |
Effectiveness of demonstration
initiatives |
1 |
VITO
(Belgium) |
|
HYICE |
IP |
Internal combustion
Engines |
9 |
BMW
(Germany) |
|
|
|
Total EU funding |
61.8 |
|
Contracts
related to fuel cell technologies awarded, or under negotiation, in the first call for
proposals of the 6th Framework Programme (FP6) |
| Area |
Project
Acronym |
Type
of
Action1 |
Topic |
EU
indicative funding2
(M€) |
Co-ordinator |
High
Temperature
Fuel Cells |
Real-SOFC |
IP |
Next generations SOFC planar technology |
9 |
Forschungs-
zentrum Jülich (FZJ)
(Germany) |
|
BIOCELLUS |
STREP |
Biomass Fuel Cell Utility System |
2.5 |
TU Munich
(Germany) |
|
GREEN-FUEL-CELL |
STREP |
SOFC fuelled by biomass gasification
gas |
3 |
CCIRAD (France) |
Solid
Polymer Fuel Cells |
HYTRAN |
IP |
Innovative systems and components for
road transport applications |
9 |
Volvo
(Sweden) |
|
FURIM |
IP |
High temperature polymer electrolyte
membrane (PEM) |
4 |
DTU, Technical University of
Denmark |
Portable
applications |
MOREPOWER |
STREP |
Compact direct (m)ethanol fuel cell |
2.2 |
GKSS Forschungs-zentrum Geesthacht
(Germany) |
|
|
|
Total EU funding |
29.7 |
|
(1) IP :
Integrated Project
NOE : Network of Excellence
STREP : Specific Targeted Research Projects
(2) These funds are matched by approximately an equivalent amount by the
participant organisations |
SCOTLAND
March 4, 2004
Hydrogen Could Give Clean Power
for Unst The Herald
 |
THE CHEAPEST ELECTRICITY - THE FASTEST
J0B GROWTH
Renewables Work
Job Growth from Renewable Energy Development in the Mid-Atlantic
Spring 2004
PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center
Dave Algoso and Nathan Willcox
DOWNLOAD REPORT |
Excerpts:
•Wind-generated electricity currently costs about 4-6 ¢/kWh. After 2010,
wind power is expected to cost under 3 ¢/kWh without government incentives. ...The PUC
determined that wind would be the most competitive energy source if gas costs rose above
$3.50 per thousand cubic feet. In the first half of 2003, the average amount paid by
utilities nationwide for [natural] gas ranged between $5.00 and $7.73 per thousand cubic
feet.
• In 1990, Germany enacted a law requiring utilities to purchase renewable
energy at a guaranteed minimum price. Since then, the country’s wind capacity has
grown from 56 MW to 12,000 MW in 2002, more than a third of wind capacity worldwide. The
German wind industry now employs 40,000 people.
• Germany started the 1,000 Roofs program in 1991 and expanded it to 100,000 Roofs in
1998. The program offers 10-year, low-interest loans for individuals and businesses to
install PV panels. Largely as a result of these programs, Germany is expected to have 440
MW of solar power in operation by the end of 2003, more than twice as much as the entire
U.S. German PV manufacturers are greatly expanding their capacity in response to this
demand. In one decade, Germany has built an industry with billions of dollars in revenue.
• Spain passed a law in 1994 guaranteeing access to the electric grid and
establishing purchase requirements for renewable energy, and is now adding wind turbines
at the third highest rate in the world. Spain’s Gamesa Eolica has become the
world’s second-largest wind turbine manufacturer.
• Denmark has long had a policy of guaranteeing a market for producers of wind
energy, stimulating manufacturing activity that has made the country the world’s
largest producer of turbines.
• The Japanese government invests $200 million per year in a program that provides a
rebate on solar panels in exchange for the right to collect performance data. The program
has resulted in 41% annual growth in total installed PV capacity since 1992, and
manufacturers have expanded their operations to keep pace with this growth. Japan is now
the world leader in both the use and production of solar panels.112 Solar capacity is
expected to increase in Japan nearly ten fold by 2010, so that it will account for 30% of
renewable energy supply. The national target is 5,000 Megawatts of installed PV Systems by
FY 2010, up dramatically from the approximate 200 MW installed at the beginning of 2000.
|
CANADA STUART ENERGY CALIFORNIA FUEL CELL
PARTNERSHIP |
 |
"Canada
has become a world leader in the development of hydrogen technologies. This industry will
be a major component in our reduction of emissions under the [Climate
Change] Plan."
Lucienne Robillard
Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of
Canada |
Government of Canada Supports the
Development of Hydrogen-Based Systems
Canadian Press March 8,
2004
The investment will assist Stuart Energy
Systems in developing environmentally friendly hydrogen backup power generators, which
would be able to power a building's critical systems during a power outage. These systems
would replace traditional diesel backup power generators, which are currently used in most
large buildings. By adding a fuel dispenser module to the mechanism, Stuart Energy
Systems' generators could also provide clean and safe hydrogen fuel, thereby providing
companies with the ability to refuel their own hydrogen-powered vehicles.
"Our work in developing hydrogen energy stations has opened up a
new market for us, namely the backup power generation sector," said Jon
Slangerup, President and Chief Executive Officer of Stuart Energy Systems
Corporation. "Our continued partnership with TPC will allow us to move forward with
this application, creating new opportunities in the hydrogen economy."
"This type of technology will play an important role in enabling
more long-term uses of hydrogen, such as the fuel cell and large-scale power
generation," said Alan Lloyd, Member of the Canadian Hydrogen
Technology Advisory Group and 2003 Chairman of the California Fuel Cell Partnership.
"Not only will this kind of technology contribute to important environmental
improvements, but it will also help establish an infrastructure that will benefit the
entire hydrogen industry now and into the future."
Technology Partnerships Canada is a
special operating agency of Industry Canada, with a mandate to provide funding support for
strategic research and development, and demonstration projects that will produce economic,
social and environmental benefits for Canadians.
|
| CALIFORNIA STUART ENERGY SOLAR INTEGRATED TECH WINTEC |
SPECIAL MEETING of the
CALIFORNIA HYDROGEN BUSINESS COUNCIL
Business,
Employment and the
Hydrogen Community in California
Tuesday, February 24th, 2004 Cal
EPA Building, Coastal Room, 1001 "I" Street, Sacramento, CA
Solar Integrated
Technologies |
Stuart Energy
Systems |
Wintec
|
Click the slide to view the Powerpoint presentations from the meeting |
|
What's Wrong with the Electric Grid?
Eric J. Lerner The Industrial Physicist
INDIA PREPARING ACTION PLAN TO
UTILIZE HYDROGEN AND FUEL CELLS
Ratan Tata to
Head Steering Group
Press Information Bureau - Government of India
February 23, 2004
The Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy
Sources is working out the details of the National Hydrogen Energy Road Map, which will
provide the basis for coordinated development on all aspects of hydrogen energy including
production, storage, transport, distribution, safety, standards and applications. The Road
Map will be prepared and implemented under the guidance of the National Hydrogen Energy
Board.
| MINNESOTA |
FORCES RAIL AGAINST
HYDROGEN FUNDING IN HOPE OF DIVERTING FEDERAL MONEY TO ETHANOL SUBSIDIES
The Hybrid Highway
David Morris Mother Jones February
23, 2004
COUNTERPOINT:
|
| FLORIDA
CALIFORNIA TOYOTA
January 23, 2004 |
Florida's Governor Jeb Bush
Calls for Hydrogen Highways |
Gov. Jeb Bush said the hydrogen-powered SUV that he
test drove Thursday was a smooth ride - and one that he wants Florida to take into the
future. With no air pollution, hydrogen power "is worth being involved in - that's
for sure," Bush said after test driving a Toyota at the Capitol. The governor is
requesting $15 million in his proposed 2004-05 budget to provide incentives to businesses
for developing hydrogen technology. The goal is to eventually establish a network of
hydrogen refueling stations around Florida, said Alan Bedwell, a deputy secretary at the
Florida Department of Environmental Protection. ...While [California
Governor] Schwarzenegger has proposed a network of hydrogen refueling stations, Bedwell
said the California governor hasn't proposed funding for it as Bush has. ...The state
money will be spent on partnerships with businesses to reduce their financial risk for
investing in hydrogen technology, Bedwell said. Florida this year is spending $6 million
on stationary hydrogen fuel cells to provide power in residential areas, Bedwell said.
Taking a Spin with
Hydrogen Bruce Ritchie
Tallahassee Democrat |
| OPINION
November 6, 2003 |
 Choosing America's Path
to Future Prosperity or Ruin
by Richard D. Masters,
Owner, Virtual Image Media Services
Webmaster, Cooperation for Energy
Independence of Democracies
Director and webmaster, New Mexico Hydrogen Business
Council
Webmaster, International Clearinghouse for Hydrogen Based Commerce
This morning, Federal Reserve
Chairman Alan Greenspan warned that "the rapid increase in the unified budget
deficits that would occur under current law as the baby-boom generation retires could set
in motion an unsustainable dynamic in which large deficits result in growing interest
payments that augment deficits in future years. Such a development could have notable,
destabilizing effects on the economy."
The "unsustainable dynamic" that Mr. Greenspan is referring
to is what we in the business world term as "a death spiral," where borrowing to
stave off bankruptcy results in debt service payments of such magnitude that they
ultimately kill the company anyway. In other words, we are in big trouble, folks.
"Increased productivity growth," Greenspan continued,
"while helpful, does not alter that conclusion, because when productivity growth
increases, so do social security obligations and, indirectly, Medicare benefits as well.
Productivity would have to grow at a rate far in excess of the historical average to fully
resolve the long-term financing problems of social security and Medicare. Tax rate
increases of sufficient dimension to deal with our looming fiscal problems arguably pose
significant risks to economic growth and the revenue base. The exact magnitude of such
risks are very difficult to estimate, but they are of enough concern, in my judgment, to
warrant aiming to close the fiscal gap primarily, if not wholly, from outlay restraint. At
the same time, the dimension of the challenge, especially in later years, cannot be
underestimated. The one certainty is that the resolution of this situation will require
difficult choices, and the future performance of the economy will depend on those
choices."
Mr. Greenspan is telling America that we must find a way to realize
dramatic and unparalleled growth in productivity or face a dismal future of increasing
taxation, decreasing economic vitality, and a reduction in the value of retirement
savings. He offered a note of hope: "History has shown that, when faced with large
challenges, elected officials have risen to the occasion."
There is only one solution to this dilemma. We must do away with our
insane addiction to imported oil. This argument was eloquently presented to the inaugural
conference for Cooperation for Energy
Independence of Democracies in the 21st Century by the renowned venture capital expert
J. Morton Davis.
"If we could reduce the need for oil by 20-percent, it would
become a competitive product. The whole power of the unstable Arab/Islamic world would
disappear -- and oil would go back to ten dollars a barrel. I don't know why we don't
understand it, why our leaders don't understand it. It's been the biggest external tax in
the history of the human race since 1974. There is no other product in the world that is
not dealt with on a competitive basis. If they were doing it within the United States,
they'd all be in jail because you can't have a cartel or monopoly to literally rape people
from their funds that they would have available otherwise to grow the economy in other
ways, instead of exporting all the money to Saudi Arabia and these countries that support
events that we're not happy with."
Davis clearly sees America's lost opportunity. If the funds sacrificed
daily to import oil were kept within America and invested in domestic energy development
and production, they would revolve, accumulate, and result in a sustainable economic boom
of proportions of which have never been experienced. This boom would provide Chairman
Greenspan's demand for productivity which would "grow at a rate far in excess of the
historical average to fully resolve the long-term financing problems of social security
and Medicare."
Is it a gamble for America to become energy self-sufficient? No. The
gamble is our trust in non-democratic nations to continue to honor America's interests and
contracts. Getting America out of trouble by transforming her vast energy infrastructure
is the single greatest economic opportunity ever presented to mankind. We are ready to
begin, but we need a holistic commitment from our government now to stop gambling and
start delivering by providing the playing field where our eager and dynamic renewable and
sustainable energy companies can compete, profit and expand.
"We are at one of the more fundamental opportunities in our
history," California Power Authority Chairman David Freeman recently stated,
"because we have run out of time with this oil/fossil fuel oriented economy of ours.
And we either are going to get on a cleaner path, which is hydrogen, as though our lives
depended on it, or we're going to get in more and more trouble." |
J. Morton Davis
DH Blair
Investment Bank
Speech to
Cooperation for
Energy Independence
of Democracies
Jerusalem, Israel
August 28, 2003 |
Windows Media
Videos by VIMS |
David Freeman
Chair, California
Power Authority
The Hydrogen
Revolution
CHBC -- SCAQMD
Diamond Bar, CA
July 25, 2003
|
Windows Media
Videos by VIMS |
Complete text of David
Freeman's speech to the CHBC
Hydrogen
Fuels Power Broker's New Venture
Nancy Rivera Brooks Los Angeles
Times October 24, 2003 |
|
  Turin Bus
Demonstration Coincides with Italy's Inauguration of the Hydrogen Systems Laboratory in
Environment Park
June 9, 2003 |
|
As The City of Turin prepares to host the
Winter Olympics in 2006, Italy's own 60kW fuel cell and battery hybrid bus, assigned to
Turin, was demonstrated Friday to a group of dignitaries including the Italian Under
Secretary of Transportation. The Irisbus/Altra is not part of the Clean Urban Transit for Europe
(CUTE) demonstration project, but an independent project funded by the government of
Italy, local agencies and industry. Presently fueled with a single K-cylinder of
hydrogen, it was driven around the parking lot of the Eco-Efficiency Biennial Fair
at the renovated original Fiat factory. The power and comfort of the bus was obvious
to all present, but the bus is still accumulating the 5000 kilometers required by Italian
authorities before it can enter revenue service - a bitter point of contention raised by
the partners, who point to the safety records of other fuel cell bus programs
worldwide. Inside the exhibition hall, Fiat displayed a 7kw fuel cell/battery hybrid
vehicle. |
|
Environment Park
and
Hydrogen
Systems
Laboratory |
 |
|
The hydrogen bus demonstration coincided with the inauguration of Italy's technology
showcase Hydrogen Systems Laboratory
(HySyLab), headed by Dr. Giuseppe Gianolio, at Environment Park, a national
initiative center for industry collaboration in clean energy and environmental
remediation. HySyLab is funded by Environment Park, the
 Piemonte Region, the Province of Turin (Provincia di
Torino) and the City of Turin (Torino
Municipality) in partnership with Italy's leading gas provider Gruppo Sapio, Turin's
municipal transit agency Gruppo Torinese Transporti (GTT),
and Italy's foremost technical university Politecnico de Torino. |
Nobel Laureate Carlo Rubbia, now Commissario Straordinario of the Italian National Agency for New
Technologies, Energy and the Environment (ENEA), delivered the speech dedicating
HySyLab. Behind him, on a bank of plasma screen modules, played the scenes of
Japan's delivery of fuel cell vehicles from the documentary Hydrogen Hawaii 2003.
 Producer and Director of Hydrogen Hawaii Richard
D. Masters, who is also web master for the California Hydrogen Business Council and
the Cooperation for Energy
Independence of Democracies in the 21st Century initiative, attended by special
invitation of General Manager Franco Mana, Dr. Gianolio and the Organizing Secretariat of
Environment Park. |
Secretary of
Energy Abraham announces Italy to Join International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy
Supports President Bush's H2 Initiative
U.S. Department of Energy August
5, 2003
ROME, ITALY – Following a meeting today with Italy’s Minister of
Productive Activities Antonio Marzano, U. S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham announced
Italy’s intention to join the International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy
[IPHE]. Italy is one of the core countries that support the IPHE, several other countries
have also shown interest.
“We are pleased to learn of Italy’s decision to
join the partnership for hydrogen and fuel cell technology research, development and
demonstration activities,” Secretary Abraham said. “International cooperation is
key to achieving hydrogen and fuel cell program goals such as those President Bush stated
in his recent State of the Union address.”
The Government of Italy has a well developed research and
development program addressing hydrogen and fuel cell technology applications in the
transportation and electric utility sectors. Italy and the U.S. cooperate under a
bilateral science and technology agreement, as well as under the Implementing Agreements
of the International Energy Agency [IEA]. Cooperative research and development activities
include the topics of hydrogen production, storage, transport, end-use technologies, and
codes and standards.
Secretary Abraham called for international collaboration
in his speech to the IEA Ministerial meeting held in Paris, France in April. Additionally,
Secretary Abraham will host a Ministerial meeting of the IPHE in the fall in the United
States.
The IPHE will support the deployment of hydrogen energy
technologies, establishing collaborative efforts in hydrogen production, storage,
transport, and end-use technologies; common codes and standards for hydrogen fuel
utilization; and the sharing of information necessary to develop hydrogen fueling
infrastructure.
“The vision of the International Partnership for the
Hydrogen Economy is that a participating country’s consumers will have the practical
option of purchasing a competitively priced hydrogen power vehicle, and be able to refuel
it near their homes and places of work, by 2020,” Secretary Abraham added.
A growing number of countries have committed to accelerate
the development of hydrogen energy technologies in order to improve their energy,
economic, and environmental security. For example, the United States has committed $1.7
billion for the first five years of a long-term research and development program for
hydrogen, hydrogen infrastructure, fuel cells, and hybrid vehicle technologies. The
European Union has committed up to 2 billion Euros to long-term research and development
of renewable and hydrogen energy technologies.
The use of hydrogen as an energy carrier offers several
important advantages relative to existing systems. Hydrogen can be derived from multiple
feedstocks, which fosters fuel versatility. End-use technologies that employ hydrogen,
such as fuel cells, are more efficient and can be used safely while improving the
environment and public health.
Secretary Abraham is traveling in Europe meeting with
government officials regarding international energy issues. |
|
"The
choice is not between windmills and untouched nature. It's between windmills and the
destruction of the planet's biology on a scale we can barely begin to imagine."
|
On a hilltop in Rutland, Vermont,
"Grandpa's Knob" wind generator supplied power to the local grid for several
months during World War II. The Smith- Putnam machine was rated at 1.25 megawatts in winds
of about 30 miles per hour.
It was removed from service in 1945. - DOE
|
Serious Wind
Bill McKibben
author of The End of
Nature
Orion Magazine July/August 2003
Big truths have to trump small ones. It becomes a
caricature of environmentalism to object that windmills kill birds or fish -- in fact, new
windmills kill very few birds compared with the original models. In fact, says Greenpeace,
offshore windmill platforms in Europe have often turned into artificial reefs providing
prime spawning ground for fish. But even if windmills did kill some birds, that's a small
truth -- the big truth is that rising temperatures seem likely to trigger an extinction
spasm comparable to the one that occurred when the last big asteroids struck the planet.
Already polar bears are dying as their ice empire shrinks; already coral reefs are
disappearing as rising sea temperatures bleach them, and by some accounts, they may be
gone altogether before the century ends.
The choice, in other words, is not between windmills
and untouched nature. It's between windmills and the destruction of the planet's biology
on a scale we can barely begin to imagine. Charles Komanoff, an independent energy
consultant in New York, calculates that Cape Wind's windmills could produce as much as 1.5
billion kilowatt-hours annually. Or, looked at another way, if they aren't built, twenty
thousand tons of carbon will be emitted each week as coal and oil and gas are burned to
produce the same amount of energy. The windmills won't provide all the power for the Cape,
but they might provide something like half, which is a lot. more |
| CALIFORNIA GE DUPONT BP
SHELL GM TOYOTA CHEVRONTEXACO CalEPA |
|
UNITED KINGDOM
UNITED STATES
Low Carbon
Technology Alliance Announced by The Federation Of Canadian Municipalities, The Carbon
Trust (UK) and Clean Energy Group (US) Canada
Newswire February 6, 2004
To date, there is not only little sharing of key information among
local and regional governments, public funders, companies and NGOs in Europe, the United
States and Canada, there is virtually no sharing of knowledge among European, United
States and Canadian institutions that are working on key technology implementation
mechanisms. The only information that is shared is usually among national governments at a
broad policy level. Low carbon or clean energy technologies and deployment programs
covered in the agreement include: energy production from solar, wind, hydro, biomass,
ocean thermal, tidal and wave, fuel cells, and related energy storage and conversion
technologies, in addition to energy efficiency applications and green building design.
UNITED STATES
The "SuperGrid" - A Grid for the 21st
Century
The SuperGrid could provide abundant liquid H2 fuel.
Powering Up
Lee Dye ABC News
CANADA
February 7, 2004
Commons Cabinet
Shift Pushes Back Hydrogen Village
Sean Kelly Journal
Pioneer Prince Edward Island, Canada
CHINA February 6, 2004
China Invests US$32 Million to Start Fuel Cell Bus Demo
Asiaport News/Fuel Cell Today
Fuel Cells in
China Stephen Geiger
Fuel Cell Today
China Announces New Investment
in Auto FC Development
DOE
Pacific Northwest Laboratory
JAPAN UPS DAIMLERCHRYSLER CARB EPA January 28, 2003
Japanese, U.S. Officials Meet to
Promote Cleaner Vehicles
Detroit Free Press
Japan will require vehicles to get 35.8 miles per gallon by 2010, a 3.4
percent improvement over current rates. The country also must reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by 11 percent between 2001 and 2010, said Kanji Nakayama, director of
engineering and safety with Japan's Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport.
Nakayama said Japan wants to have 50,000 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on the road by 2010
and 5 million on the road by 2020. Oge and Alan Lloyd, who is the head of the California Air Resources Board,
said there is also a growing market for environmentally friendly vehicles in the United
States. |
| EUROPEAN UNION |
A
Strong European Technology Partnership to Move Towards the Hydrogen Economy
European Commission January
20, 2004
European Commission
President, Romano Prodi, today launched the "European Hydrogen and Fuel Cell
Technology" Platform, whose Advisory Council includes key players of the European
hydrogen sector, at its first assembly in Brussels. The Platform has the task of drafting
a blueprint to smooth the EU's transition from a fossil fuel-based to a hydrogen-based
economy. The creation of this platform follows the presentation of a report by an EU
high-level expert group on June 16, 2003, and the inclusion of a hydrogen and fuel cell
initiative in the "QuickStart" list of transport and research projects. This
list was presented by the Commission on November 11, 2003, in the framework of the
"European Growth Initiative". World-wide energy demand will double in the next
50 years, and Europe still has very limited home-grown resources. The EU currently imports
50% of its demand for oil, and, if nothing is done, this figure will rise to 70% in 20-30
years time. Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies could form an integral part of future
sustainable energy systems. This will contribute to improving Europe's energy security and
air quality, whilst lessening climate change. Developing the new hydrogen society while
gaining worldwide leadership will require a coherent EU strategy, which this European
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Technology Platform will help devise.
"At the current pace, Europe's oil import dependency is set to
grow from around 50% today to 70% or more in 2025. Current trends are clearly
unsustainable. We have to act now in order to change them," said Commission President
Romano Prodi. more
|
| GERMANY ARAL BMW
DAIMLERCHRYSLER FORD GM/OPEL HYDRO/GHW LINDE
VATTENFALL BERLINER
VERKEHRSBETRIEBE CEP |
-- GERMAN
COUNTERPART TO CALIFORNIA FUEL CELL PARTNERSHIP --
Germany's Clean Air
Partnership Begins Construction of Integrated Hydrogen Fueling Station in Berlin
Carlist December 29, 2003
In the course of this project, the CEP’s
automakers will operate a test fleet initially consisting of 16 passenger cars featuring
hydrogen technology: These are ten F-Cell vehicles contributed by DaimlerChrysler, two
hydrogen-powered 7 Series cars from BMW, three Ford Focus FCEV Hybrids and a HydroGen3
from Opel. The cars will be made available to customers, who will operate them for the
first time under everyday conditions. |
|
| Principals at earlier ceremony in Berlin (left to right): Dr.
Peter Sauermann (head of Product Development at Aral Research
and Chairman of the CEP steering
committee), Bjørn Gregert Halvorsen (Norsk
Hydro), Christoph Huss (BMW),
Heinz Krosch (Ford, Manager
Alternative Powertrains), Burkhard Eberwein (BVG - Berlin Transport
Corporation), Matthias Bork (Manager Regional Marketing
Europe and Customer Programs Adam Opel AG Fuel
Cell Activities), Dr. Oliver Weinmann (Vatenfall Europe AG),
Rolf Trill (Linde, Head
of Department Advanced Customer Applications), Dr. Christian H. Mohrdieck
(DaimlerChrysler
Research and Technology, Director Structural Materials Research Body and Powertrain), Iris
Gleicke (Parliamentary State Secretary to the German Federal Minister of Transport,
Building and Housing). Image: Clean
Energy Partnership
|
Image courtesy of Michael Neuman
"The idea is for Toronto to become a world-class showcase of hydrogen
technology. We expect Toronto to have the highest concentration of fuel-cell vehicles in
the world and the highest concentration of fuel-cell power generators as well."
Pierre Rivard, association chairman and
chief executive officer of Mississauga-based fuel-cell maker Hydrogenics Corp
 Firms
to Form Greater Toronto Area
`Hydrogen Village'
Group of 27 to showcase fuel-cell generators and
vehicles
Toronto Star (Canada) December 10, 2003
In addition to Hydrogenics, members of the village
include fuel-cell providers Ballard Power Systems Inc., Fuel Cell Technologies Inc. and
 Stuart Energy Systems Inc. The City of
Mississauga; the University of Toronto, Mississauga campus; Ontario Power Generation and
Purolator Courier Ltd. are also involved with the project. Among the proposals:
- Bell Canada would use fuel cells instead of batteries as
back-up power for wireless radio towers in the area.
- Enbridge would consider demonstrating residential
fuel-cell power generators as a way to heat homes and generate hot water.
- Purolator Courier would convert some of its delivery
vehicles to fuel-cell power.
- The Canadian National Exhibition and U of T's Mississauga
campus would use hydrogen-powered maintenance vehicles. The campus would also propose a
fuel-cell bus and power units for a student residence.
Germany Passes Laws to Push
Renewable Energy
SolarAccess.com
December 2, 2003
The World Council for Renewable
Energy (WCRE) and the European
Association for Renewable Energies e. V. (Eurosolar) reported that the German
Parliament is progressively supporting renewable energy in Germany through laws designed
to promote photovoltaic technology and push the market introduction of biofuels by a 100
percent tax exemption.
"The
most likely long term candidate for energy storage from the intermittent renewable energy
sources will be hydrogen, which can convert electricity
derived from renewable energy into a fuel, for its
development will also be supported by its potential for transforming transportation and
stationary energy systems worldwide." |
Transitioning To
A Renewable Energy Future
Donald W.
Aitken, Ph.D.
November 2003
commissioned by the International Solar Energy Society, with funding from the
European Union |
 The White Paper presents three major conditions
that are driving public policy toward a renewable energy transition: 1) newly emerging and
better understood environmental constraints; 2) the need to reduce the myriads of risks
from easy terrorist targets and from breakdowns in technologies on which societies depend;
and 3) the attractiveness of the economic and environmental opportunities that will open
during the renewable energy transition. The renewable energy transition will accelerate as
governments discover how much better the renewable energy policies and applications are
for economies than the present time- and resource- limited policies and outmoded and
unreliable centralized systems for power production and distribution. |
- The synergy between hydrogen development and the
application of the renewable energy technologies will be significant. Hydrogen, a clean
energy when burned, will be produced by clean energy resources. And the energy from those
clean resources will be converted to fuel for on-demand clean energy applications, fully
decoupled from renewable energy source fluctuations. The economic and societal values of
both the hydrogen and the renewable energy resources will be enhanced by that synergy. The
parallel renewable energy and hydrogen transitions will be mutually supportive.
- Remote sources of renewable energy in areas of attractive
wind, solar or geothermal energy potential can become hydrogen factories.
- The development of hydrogen fuel and applications will
proceed independently of the renewable energy transition, pulled by the attractive
economic benefits of the hydrogen transition, and pushed by aggressive government
programs, so that by then the hydrogen technology and infrastructure can be expected to be
sufficiently ready to support higher penetration levels of the intermittent renewable
energy resources. The corollary of this argument, though, is that the environmental
success of the hydrogen transition will depend entirely on the utilization of renewable
energy resources instead of the conventional energy sources to produce the hydrogen.
- It is not necessary to have a geothermal energy potential
that could provide a major percentage of overall national energy consumption in order for
geothermal energy to be economically beneficial. In Hawaii, the geothermal energy is
concentrated on the “Big Island” (Hawaii), while the population center is on the
island of Oahu. The production of hydrogen from electricity produced by geothermal energy
is about to be undertaken on Hawaii as well as in Iceland, heralding a model in which
hydrogen becomes the geothermal energy “carrier” transported from remote source
locations to population centers and for multiple fueled end-uses.
|
European Vision
 European Union
Backs 62 Billion Euro Investment Plan for Transport, R&D
Reuters Foundation December 12, 2003
EU leaders gave their blessing to a 62 billion euros "quick
start" list of priority projects to be launched over the next three years and funded
through a combination of EU and national funds, European Investment Bank loans and private
money. ...The priority list includes projects such as rail tunnels through the Alps,
high-speed railways but also cross-border gas and electricity links and innovative
research projects such as hydrogen power and laser technologies. (click image to
download report)
 HLG summary report “Hydrogen
energy and fuel cells - a vision for our future” [PDF - file 292Kb] The terms of
reference for the High Level Group on Hydrogen and
Fuel Cells requested the preparation of a vision report outlining the research,
deployment and non-technical actions that would be necessary to move from today's
fossil-based energy economy to a future sustainable hydrogen-oriented economy with fuel
cell energy converters. This summary report was produced as a communication to the major
European conference “The hydrogen economy – a bridge to sustainable
energy” held in Brussels on 16-17 June 2003. The summary report
aims to capture a collective vision and agreed recommendations.
-- European Commission |
United
Nations and Turkey Establish International
Hydrogen Technologies Center Headed
by IAHE's Nejat Veziroglu
Turkish Press/Anadolu Agency
October 21, 2003
VIENNA - [Turkish] Energy and Natural Resources Minister
Hilmi Guler on Tuesday signed an agreement in Vienna regarding establishment of Hydrogen
Energy Research Center in Istanbul. Guler signed the agreement together with United
Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Director General Carlos Magarinos.
The International Hydrogen Technologies Center, which is planned to take effect at
the beginning of 2004 with the cooperation of UNIDO, will have a donation fund. Financial
cost of the agreement was determined as 40 million U.S. dollars. ...Prof. Nejat Veziroglu,
currently acting as the Chairman of Miami University Clean Energy Institute, will act as
the director of the center that will take effect next year. Guler also met with
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Chairman Mohammed El Baradei for half an hour,
and exchanged views about studies in Turkey on nuclear energy and cooperation between IAEA
and Turkey.
Secretary
of Energy Abraham Joins International
Community to Establish the International
Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy
15 Countries, EC Sign Terms of Reference,
Supports President Bush's Hydrogen Initiative
U.S. Department of Energy November 20,
2003
WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, joined by Ministers
representing 14 nations and the European Commission, today signed an agreement formally
establishing the International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy (IPHE). Secretary
Abraham called for the creation of the IPHE in his speech to the International Energy
Agency Ministerial in Paris, France on April 28, 2003.
"Today marks a significant advancement in countries from around
the globe working together for a safe and environmentally benign hydrogen economy,"
Secretary Abraham said. "The vision of the International Partnership for the Hydrogen
Economy is that a participating country’s consumers will have the practical option of
purchasing a competitively priced hydrogen power vehicle, and be able to refuel it near
their homes and places of work, by 2020."
Representatives from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, European
Commission (EC), France, Germany, Iceland, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Norway, Russia, UK
and the United States signed the Terms of Reference formally creating the IPHE as an
international mechanism to coordinate hydrogen research and hydrogen technology
development and deployment.
These countries share a common interest in pre-competitive research and
development cooperation that will support the future deployment of hydrogen and fuel cell
technologies. Building a safe, efficient and economical world-wide infrastructure for
hydrogen production, storage, transport, distribution and use is a challenge that will
require the best planning and expertise from around the world. International cooperation
will also help countries to more efficiently achieve national hydrogen and fuel cell
technology program goals for both transportation systems and stationary applications.
The IPHE will provide a mechanism to organize, evaluate and coordinate
multinational research, development and deployment programs that advance the transition to
a global hydrogen economy. The IPHE will: leverage limited resources; bring together the
world’s best intellectual skills and talents to solve difficult problems; and develop
interoperable technology standards. It will foster public-private collaboration that
addresses the technological, financial and institutional barriers to a cost-competitive,
standardized, widely accessible, safe and environmentally benign hydrogen economy.
"In his State of the Union address in January of this year, the
President announced his Hydrogen Fuel Initiative to concurrently develop the large-scale
fuel production and distribution infrastructure necessary for the mass deployment of
hydrogen-powered vehicles," Abraham said. "President Bush’s vision is that
children born today will have the opportunity to purchase and drive a hydrogen powered,
pollution free vehicle."
|
Abraham Says
Hydrogen Revolution Must Occur in Two
Decades
Text of Abraham's Remarks
Arabic News November 21, 2003
"The United States is committed to hydrogen research and development because of its
obvious benefits to energy security, but we are also committed to hydrogen because it is
clean . . . the only emissions from hydrogen-powered automobiles, for instance, will be
water vapor." - Spencer Abraham |
|
|
