Fuel Cells 2000 has chosen its Top 5 Fuel Cell States in a new report, “State of the States: Fuel Cells in America.” They are: (alphabetical order) California, Connecticut, New York, Ohio, and South Carolina.

Fuel Cells 2000 analyzed the seven regions of the United States, compiling state activities including supportive fuel cell and hydrogen policies, installations and demonstrations in each state, Road Maps and the overall level of activism. Each of the Top Five was selected for different reasons, but “they all recognize that establishing a fuel cell-friendly climate brings environmental benefits and jobs to their state,” said Jennifer Gangi, program director, Fuel Cells 2000.

• California is the world leader in vehicle demonstrations, hydrogen fueling stations and strict emissions standards, and has aggressive policies supporting fuel cell power generation utilizing renewable biofuels.

• Connecticut has high profile installations, offers substantial financial support for fuel power generation systems and is the headquarters for several major fuel cell manufacturers.

• New York has a long history of support for fuel cell research and deployment.

• Ohio has a well funded business development strategy aimed at fuel cells and the supply chain.

• South Carolina universities take a collaborative approach; there is an aggressive economic development program and activism in forklift demonstrations.

Said Gangi, “We hope that our report encourages lawmakers, local officials and average citizens, to want to emulate the Top 5 and move their state forward. With many major fuel cell manufacturers and suppliers located in the United States, this industry is poised to deliver on the promise of green growth, clean energy and American jobs.”

There are more details on all the fuel cell activity in the Top 5 as well as the rest of the 50 states and District of Columbia in each state listing and the Appendices. Download the report for free at: http://www.fuelcells.org/statereport.html.

EDTA’s Annual Capitol Hill Briefing: “Electric Drive Turning Points: Changing a Century of Transportation in 10 Years” began with comments from US Senators. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota described electric drive vehicles as key to reducing our energy dependence, growing production and jobs in the US, and promoting stewardship for the environment. Orrin Hatch of Utah stated that viable energy sources must be abundant, affordable, dependable, and domestic. He believes that those in attendance have the ability to make electric drive vehicles just as viable as conventional vehicles.

While this year’s briefing mainly focused on electric infrastructure, Edward Cohen of American Honda Motor Co. spoke up during the roundtable discussion in support of fuel cell vehicles. He said that Honda has a lot of faith in fuel cells and that the next decade will be important for proving the technology. He warned against start-stop funding, saying that cutting off funding, even for just a year, sends the wrong message and can effectively kill off the technology. He also talked about the importance of managing expectations. Fuel cell and other electric drive vehicles have the ability to do some great things for transportation, but if expectations are set higher than the technology can initially deliver, they may be unfairly labeled as a failure.

Tony Posawatz from General Motors also spoke approvingly of fuel cells. While he is personally involved with production of the Chevy Volt, he mentioned that GM sees value in having a blended technology portfolio, which includes fuel cell vehicles.