USFCC, NHA Merger will unify voice for clean energy.
Share:
Press Release Summary:
US Fuel Cell Council (USFCC) and National Hydrogen Association (NHA) are merging in order to form the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA), which aims to accelerate commercialization of fuel cell and hydrogen energy technologies. Through its unified voice, organization will drive need for fuel cells and hydrogen as integral components of clean energy portfolio. Organization, led by President and Executive Director Ruth Cox, will be headquartered in Washington, DC.
Original Press Release:
U.S. Fuel Cell Council, National Hydrogen Association Merge
New Group to Bring Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Energy to Market Faster
Washington, DC--The U.S. Fuel Cell Council (USFCC) and the National Hydrogen Association (NHA) announced today they are joining forces to accelerate the commercialization of fuel cell and hydrogen energy technologies.
The newly formed Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) will bring a strong, unified voice to the drive for clean energy. The merger of the industry's leading advocacy organizations will deliver an integrated strategy to the industry and a singular message to stakeholders: fuel cells and hydrogen are integral components of our clean energy portfolio.
The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association's membership represents the entire supply chain for the delivery of these clean energy solutions. The organization will be led by President and Executive Director, Ruth Cox, and headquartered in Washington, D.C.
"Bringing the two organizations together to form the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association will give us the critical mass necessary to help shape the clean energy agenda," said Cox. "Study after study has shown that fuel cells and hydrogen are essential to meeting our environmental, economic, energy and national security goals."
Current users of fuel cells include some of the country's most prominent brands, like Coca-Cola, Google, FedEx, Walmart, eBay, Sheraton, Hilton, Staples, Verizon and Sprint.
"Fuel cells are the cleanest, most-efficient and unobtrusive way to harness the power of hydrogen," said Mike Hicks, FCHEA co-chairman and fuel cell engineer at Idatech, LLC. "The FCHEA will focus on supporting growth in early markets and commercializing fuel cells and hydrogen energy wherever they can add value to the 21st century's clean energy architecture."
"The merger of the USFCC and NHA was market and member driven," said Mike McGowan, FCHEA co-chairman and head of strategic alliances for Linde, LLC's Alternative Energy Team. "The issues affecting the fuel cell and hydrogen industries are inevitably linked. Without mass deployments of fuel cells, the market for hydrogen as a fuel is limited - and without a hydrogen refueling infrastructure, the ability to operate many types of fuel cells is limited."
As a result of the merger, the National Hydrogen Association's premier annual conference, scheduled for February 13-16, 2011 in the Washington, D.C. area, is being renamed the "Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy 2011 Conference and Expo." The conference is themed "Hydrogen + Fuel Cells: Pathway to A Clean Energy Future," and will feature high profile speakers, such as policy makers, corporate leaders, and independent energy strategists. The expo will provide an opportunity to "kick the tires" of emerging hydrogen and fuel cell products.
The websites for the USFCC and NHA will be accessible directly and through the new organization's homepage, which can be found at www.fchea.org.
About the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association:
The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) is the world's premier advocacy organization dedicated to the commercialization of fuel cells and hydrogen energy technologies. Its membership represents the full spectrum of the supply chain, including universities, government laboratories and agencies, fuel cell materials, component and system manufacturers, hydrogen producers, fuel distributors, utilities and other end users.
About Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Energy Technologies:
Fuel cells and hydrogen energy systems function as energy servers. As such, they supply power in a broad range of applications:
Generating efficient, clean and reliable power from existing domestic fuels, like natural gas and coal
Converting and storing renewable sources of energy, such as solar and wind, as hydrogen to power fuel cell electric vehicles, materials handling equipment or other fuel cell applications, or to generate electricity for the grid during peak hours
Turning waste gas from landfills, wastewater treatment plants and biomass into clean, efficient power
The ability to scale to power anything - from handheld devices to vehicles, buildings, and central power stations
Playing a vital role - through distributed generation - in meeting the growing power demand from business, government, and residential users on-site or at the grid's edge, thereby increasing efficiency and easing grid congestion
