Honda FCX Clarity

The Feds aren’t done with hydrogen just yet. In an effort to "[lay] the foundation for a green energy economy," the Department of Energy has just announced a $41.9 million dollar investment in fuel cell technology using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (a.k.a. the Stimulus Bill). The first industries expected to benefit from this funding will be emergency backup power systems and material handling applications, better known as forklifts. The DOE forecasts nearly 1,000 new fuel cell systems will be deployed immediately.

This investment will also make possible the development and demonstration of a 3-5kW solid oxide fuel cell auxiliary power unit for commercial class 8 trucks, made possible by a $2.4 million grant to bankrupt auto parts supplier Delphi. It’s hoped that these investments will help accelerate commercial fuel cell applications and stimulate new jobs. Of course, this investment is a small fraction of the $2-plus billion in funding for advanced battery technology. See the full press release after the break.

[Source: Department of Energy]