GM Joins Twelve Companies, Agencies, and Universities to Strengthen the Commitment to the Use of Hydrogen as an Alternative Automotive Energy Source with Historic H2I Initiative
GM to Invest $2 Billion in H2I
Hawaii: A Hydrogen "Role Model" for Other U.S. States Including California, New York, Washington D.C.
New, Strategically Placed Hydrogen Stations
Natural Hydrogen Sources Include Sun, Wind, Ocean Waves, Lava, More!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010, Honolulu, Hawaii: By the year 2015, Hawaii is poised to become America's first "hydrogen state!"
Twelve companies, agencies and universities have joined in an initiative between The Gas Company (TGC), one of Hawaii's major utilities, and General Motors to make hydrogen-powered vehicles a reality in Hawaii by 2015.
The plan, called the Hawaii Hydrogen Initiative (H2I), aims to integrate hydrogen as an essential building block for Hawaii's sustainable energy future. The effort is expected to make hydrogen available to all of Oahu's one million residents by 2015. The plan is to have between 20 and 25 hydrogen stations installed in strategic locations around the island, including military bases. The military plans to put many miles on these program vehicles to assist in bringing the plan to fruition.
The plan builds upon an initial agreement between TGC and GM in May of this year. Today, TGC produces enough hydrogen to power up to 10,000 fuel cell vehicles and has the capacity to produce much more hydrogen.
TGC, GM and other partners are evaluating methods to distribute hydrogen through existing natural gas pipelines, thereby solving the long-standing problem of how to produce and distribute hydrogen cost effectively. This has been viewed as the biggest obstacle in making hydrogen fuel cell vehicles a reality and GM believes the solution has been found.
GM is investing $2 billion in H2I. The other partners include the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT); U.S. Department of Energy; FuelCell Energy; Aloha Petroleum Ltd; Louis Berger Group; U.S. Pacific Command, which is supported by the U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Army Pacific, and U.S. Marine Forces, Pacific; National Renewable Energy Laboratory; the County of Hawaii; University of California -- Irvine; and the University of Hawaii.
As GM and its partners strengthen their collective commitment to increase the use of hydrogen, Hawaii becomes a role model to other U.S. states seeking to reduce their dependence on petroleum, including California, New York, Washington D.C. and other states. With more hydrogen stations in existence, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will become more popular.
Hawaii is the most oil-dependent state in the nation, relying on petroleum for approximately 90 percent of its energy needs. In 2008, the state launched the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI), an unprecedented partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy that seeks to generate 70 percent or more of Hawaii's energy through energy efficiency and such clean, renewable resources as solar, wind, wave, bio-fuels, and geothermal. Hydrogen, as a transportation fuel, could be a key contributor to weaning Hawaii off imported petroleum.
The State of Hawaii supports the project and has been an instrumental partner in making hydrogen fuel cell vehicles a reality in Hawaii.
Bader TV Western Region camera team was on hand for the big announcement in Hawaii...
Loading...
9:38
Honda FCX Clarity Hydrogen fuel cell car FAQs with Robert Llewellynby bigmarkoh217 views
Link to this comment:
All Comments (0)