President Proposes $322 Million for Department of Energy Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Programs.

WASHINGTON -- Backing up his commitment to a budget that provides "strong funding" for hydrogen and fuel cells, President Bush has included $322 million in the FY 2006 Department of Energy budget for fuel cell and hydrogen technology programs. That is an increase of $20.5 million over the $301.5 million Congress enacted for the current fiscal year.

"A hydrogen energy future means a stronger U.S. economy and a safer world," said USFCC Executive Director Robert Rose. "The President's budget recognizes both the potential of hydrogen and fuel cells, and the challenges we still must overcome."

Fuel cell and hydrogen-related proposals in the DOE budget include:

--Fuel Cell Technologies (Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy): $83.6 million; up $8.7 million from FY2005 enacted budget.

--Hydrogen Program (Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy): $99.1 million; up $5.1 million from FY2005 enacted budget.

--Distributed Generation Fuel Cells (Office of Fossil Energy): $65.0 million; down $9.428 million from FY2005 enacted budget.

--Additional Funding in Other DOE Offices: $74.28 million; includes Office of Science programs, hydrogen from coal, and hydrogen from nuclear power.

"While the overall commitment is most welcome, we will seek more funds for fuel cells for distributed generation," Rose said. "This program deserves an increase, not a cut.

"We also hope to convince Congress to forgo the crippling earmarks that have plagued the hydrogen program for the past two years," Rose added. "We believe the core program should be funded first. Taking money from the core program disrupts DOE's careful planning process, and cheapens the competitive bidding process that most participants must navigate."

The US Fuel Cell Council is the voice of the fuel cell industry. For more information on USFCC, visit our web site at www.usfcc.com.