by Brianna Crandall — November 25, 2016 — The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) has announced the top three states in hydrogen and fuel cell industry activities while now seeking stakeholder feedback to improve standardized manufacturing in the industry.
According to the newly released State of the States: Fuel Cells in America 2016 report, the top three hydrogen and fuel cell states are California, Connecticut, and New York. California is home to the greatest number of stationary fuel cells, while Connecticut and Delaware are home to the largest installations (roughly 15 MW and 30 MW, respectively — equivalent to power approximately 15,000 houses and 30,000 houses, respectively).
While hydrogen cars hit the streets and hydrogen stations spring up around the county, the industry has seen a consistent growth rate of 30% per year since 2010. According to the report, the northeast hydrogen and fuel cell supply chain contributed nearly $1.4 billion in revenue and investment, supported more than 6,550 direct and indirect jobs, and industry labor reported income of approximately $620 million just in 2015 alone.
The report also shows that California’s advanced energy economy is growing six times faster than the overall economy and represents 3% (500,000) of workers across the state.
In addition to transportation applications, hydrogen has the potential to decarbonize multiple sectors by enabling renewable, energy storage, and low-carbon industrial applications, according to DOE.
Meeting the demand in certain markets in the United States and around the world is helping contribute to a resurgence of manufacturing. In an effort to streamline manufacturing, DOE has issued a request for information (RFI) to obtain feedback from stakeholders regarding how and which components in the hydrogen and fuel cell manufacturing process can and should be standardized. The intent of the RFI is to identify manufacturing pathways to reduce costs in both the near and longer-term, as well as how to address any critical barriers regarding manufacturability and supply chain development.
While not all components can or should be standardized, the cooperative development of certain components with universal sizes, functions, and materials will encourage competition and advanced manufacturing to drive down costs and increase product durability. Standardization can also help to maximize compatibility, interoperability, safety, repeatability, and quality.
These announcements were made at the 2016 Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Industry Forum last week hosted by the Northeast Electrochemical Energy Storage Cluster (NEESC) and the Connecticut Green Bank, which brought together investors and stakeholders to facilitate business connections, expand market opportunities, and explore hydrogen and fuel cell technology that can effectively address the nation’s pressing energy and climate concerns.
Learn more about the Energy Department’s broader efforts to develop affordable, efficient fuel cell and hydrogen technologies on the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Web site.
