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WASHINGTON--In a bid to address America's growing energy needs, today Senators Joe Lieberman (D-CT) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) introduced environmentally-friendly legislation to encourage the use of fuel cells, a clean and cutting-edge energy source. Specifically, the bill would give consumers a $1,000 per kilowatt tax credit for purchasing residential and commercial fuel cell systems to power their electricity. The tax credit would apply to all types and sizes of stationary fuel cell systems and would be applicable for five years. "With oil and gas prices now reaching record highs, fuel cells are one excellent answer to our heightened energy demand and dependence on foreign oil," Lieberman said. "This legislation will 'power' fuel cell technology by speeding its market introduction and by increasing their use in our everyday lives." The benefits of fuel cell technology are many: they are a nearly pollution-free power supply because they operate without combustion; they can run on any hydrogen rich source, including propane, natural gas, methane or diesel; they can operate independently of a power grid, which is ideal for remote locations, and they provide highly reliable, uninterrupted power, making them very attractive for applications sensitive to power interruptions. "Here's a bit of trivia," Lieberman said. "What technology has been used in every manned U.S. space mission? You guessed it: fuel cells. They have provided all of the water and electricity needs in every manned U.S. space mission, including the Apollo and Gemini spacecraft. The challenge we now face, and the purpose of the legislation we offer today, is to broaden the circle of consumers benefitting from this clean and energy-efficient technology." Since the 1960s when they were first developed for use in space, fuel cells have been produced for a wide variety of other applications, including commercial, residential, and transportation uses. Currently fuel cells are being used successfully at more than 200 locations worldwide, including in a Central Park police station in New York City, a major postal facility in Alaska, a hotel on Mohegan tribal lands in Connecticut, and in a hospital in California. Joining Lieberman and Snowe as original co-sponsors are Senators Dodd (D-CT), Schumer (D-NY), Clinton (D-NY), Hutchinson (R-TX), Cantwell (D-WA), Dorgan (D-ND), Leahy (D-VT), Levin (D-MI), Harkin (D-IA), Akaka (D-HI), Mikulski (D-MD), and Carper (D-DE). Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.) last month. The full text of his statement follows.
Mr. President, I am pleased today to join a bipartisan coalition of Senators in introducing environmentally-friendly legislation to encourage the use of fuel cells, a clean and cutting-edge energy source. If adopted, this bill would provide tax incentives to consumers for purchasing residential and commercial fuel cell systems to power their electricity. The $1,000 per kilowatt tax credit applies to all types of stationary fuel cell systems and would be applicable for five years. This is a Senate companion piece to legislation introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Nancy Johnson last month. With oil and gas prices now reaching record highs, I believe fuel cells are one excellent answer to our heightened energy demand and dependence on foreign oil. This legislation will 'power' fuel cell technology by speeding its market introduction and by increasing their use in our everyday lives. There are many benefits of fuel cell technology. They are a nearly pollution-free power supply because they operate without combustion; they can run on any hydrogen rich source, including propane, natural gas, methane or diesel; they can operate independently of a power grid, which is ideal for remote locations, and they provide highly reliable, uninterrupted power, making them very attractive for applications highly sensitive to power interruptions. Currently they are being used at a variety of locations, including a New York City police station in Central Park, a major postal facility in Alaska, a hotel on Mohegan tribal lands in Connecticut, and in a hospital in California. Fuel cells have been successfully used since the 1960's. Initially they were developed for space applications and have provided all of the water and electricity needs in every manned U.S. space mission, including the Apollo and Gemini spacecraft. Since this time, they have been developed for a wide variety of other applications, including commercial, residential, and transportation uses.
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