27 April 2004
Author: Stefan Geiger, Fuel Cell Today
President Bush pushed high-tech proposals in a politically important state address on Monday. In his eighth trip to Minnesota, Bush also said the federal government was moving ahead with US$350 million in research and development projects for hydrogen-fuelled cars.
At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, US Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, will announce today the recipients of more than US$350 million in hydrogen research projects to support President Bush's hydrogen economy initiative.
Earlier in the day, Secretary Abraham was to hold a news conference on the initiative in Detroit, joined by representatives of the Big 3 Auto makers. Participants at the Wayne State University Tech Center event were to include Daimler-Chrysler, Ford and General Motors.
Today, the President Bush announced that the Department of Energy has selected partners through a competitive process to fund new hydrogen research projects totaling $350 million ($575 million with private cost share) to overcome obstacles to a hydrogen economy. This represents nearly one-third of the President's $1.2 billion commitment in research funding to bring hydrogen and fuel cell technology from the laboratory to the showroom.
Selected through a merit-reviewed, competitive process, the projects involve 30 lead organizations and include over 100 partners. Recipients include academia, industry and DOE national laboratories.