On April 2, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced $13.1 million in federal funding for 11 innovative research and demonstration projects under the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) National Fuel Cell Bus Program. This program advances hydrogen fuel cell power for use in public transportation buses.

“With gas prices on the rise, we know that the availability of reliable transit as a transportation choice is a significant part of relieving the pain at the pump for millions of riders each day,” said FTA Administrator Peter M. Rogoff. “And the department is taking it a step further by investing in a new generation of clean-fuel technology to make transit an even more significant part of our nation’s overall approach to a secure energy future.”

Sharing the federal funds are CALSTART in Pasadena, CA; the Center for Transportation and the Environment in Atlanta; and the Northeast Advanced Vehicle Consortium in Boston. All three will engage in work to develop various fuel cell components, test US-made buses under real-world conditions powered by fuel cells, and conduct educational outreach.

According to the National Renewable Energy Lab and FTA, every fuel cell-powered bus put into service in the U.S. could reduce the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere by 100 tons annually and eliminate the need for 9,000 gallons of fuel every year over the life of the vehicle. For buses currently running on diesel fuel, that translates into a savings of more than $37,000 per year, per vehicle.

FTA created the National Fuel Cell Bus Program in 2005 to develop affordable hydrogen fuel cell buses for the nation’s public transit agencies, and to increase public acceptance of fuel cell-powered vehicles. The 11 projects were selected from among 26 proposals seeking $52 million in federal funds.

Share: