Department of Energy applauds new hydrogen station in California

FuelCell Energy Inc., a manufacturer of stationary fuel cells based in Danbury, Connecticut, is getting ready to show off their new power plant this week.

The facility is, in fact, falls within the Orange County Sanitation District in Fountain Valley, California. It is part of a new hydrogen fueling station where wastewater will be converted into hydrogen gas, which will then be converted into electricity. The entire project was commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy, which has gained notoriety in the past for shunning fuel cell technology.

The DOE announced the initiative early this month, showing a renewed support of hydrogen fuel and fuel cell technology. Today, the DOE released a statement supporting the initiative, “applauding” what it calls the world’s first tri-generation hydrogen energy station. FuelCell Energy will begin conducting public demonstrations of the energy system beginning this week.

Several business executives have been invited to attend the demonstrations in an effort to expose them to the inner working of fuel cell technology.

Steve Chalk, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Renewable Energy with the Department of Energy, says that the new energy station exhibits the ingenuity of the American people. Chalk believes that the investment from the DOE will accelerate fuel cell technology and propel to a breakthrough stage where fuel cells finally attain a viable commercial status.

The new energy station will cater to hydrogen-powered vehicles, most of which will not be hitting streets until 2013 at the earliest.