Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, DC--Thank you, David. And thanks also to Jeff Serfass and the National Hydrogen Association. I'm pleased to be here today to highlight the participation of so many partners in what is one of the most exciting and ambitious scientific endeavors underway. I can think of no better place for today's event than a conference dedicated, as the name says, to "Partnering for the Global Hydrogen Future."

Two years ago, in order to deal with concerns about growing dependence on foreign oil as well as concerns about the environment, President Bush announced his hydrogen fuel program. In his State of the Union address, he laid out his vision for cars and trucks that run on clean, abundant hydrogen, rather than gasoline.

Today, at a time when the price of gas runs north of $2 per gallon and oil is trading at over $50 per barrel, the idea of motor vehicles powered by hydrogen makes more sense than ever.

The President has pledged upwards of $1.2 billion in government funds over the first five-year period to help build the hydrogen economy of tomorrow, and to speed its arrival.

The progress that DOE and the automotive and energy industries have made so far has us on the path to an industry commercialization decision in 2015. If our research program is successful, it is not unreasonable to think we could see the beginning of mass market penetration by 2020.

One year ago, the Department of Energy announced winning proposals for the National Hydrogen Learning Demonstration. Since then we have negotiated with each of the four teams of partners to work on projects that would assess the status of hydrogen infrastructure and fuel cell technology against time-phased, performance-based targets.

These Learning Demonstration projects cover everything from fuel cell durability and efficiency to vehicle range and fuel cost. By having automotive and energy companies work together in the research stage, we can be assured of seamless integration of both new vehicle and infrastructure technologies.

The idea is eventually to offer consumers cars and trucks that perform just like today's and don't cost any more. The only significant difference is they will run on domestically produced, clean, safe hydrogen -- rather than gasoline from imported oil.

There are a number of technological challenges to overcome before this vision is realized. For instance, different climates can affect the performance and durability of fuel cells, and different options for producing and delivering hydrogen need to be explored.

The four Learning Demonstration teams we recognize today will be working to solve these puzzles and more:

*In Northern and Southern California, ChevronTexaco and Hyundai Motor Company are teamed up to test fuel cells manufactured by United Technologies Corporation. Hydrogen will be produced by such methods as reforming natural gas and renewable ethanol.

*DaimlerChrysler and BP will be testing Ballard fuel cells in hot arid climates like Sacramento and cold climates like Detroit. Among several options, hydrogen will be produced by electrolyzing water using renewable solar and biomass-based power.

*Ford Motor Company is also working with BP and Ballard Power Systems in Detroit, but also in hot, humid climates like Orlando. BP will test a myriad of hydrogen production options under this project.

*And General Motors is working with Shell in several geographic regions: New York, Detroit, California, and here in Washington, DC. General Motors manufactures its own fuel cell and Shell Hydrogen, LLC will be providing several options for evaluating hydrogen infrastructure.

Each of these teams will incorporate new technology developments from DOE's national laboratories and other technology suppliers and universities to move these important projects forward.

Throughout the course of their research, they will employ 134 fuel cell vehicles and up to 28 hydrogen refueling stations, such as the ones recently opened by ChevronTexaco and BP in Southern California. They will collect data both on the open road and in controlled testing environments.

I am proud to report, too, that each of these teams is sharing at least 50 percent of the project funding, which is estimated to be about $380 million. Having industry pay half is a bargain for the taxpayers, and an excellent example of public-private sector partnership.

I want to salute the people gathered with me today. For all the pronouncements of government officials, it is not lost on me that it is chiefly through the hard work of the scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs and others represented here that the vision laid out by President Bush will become reality.

So let me thank them for being here today. You are doing a tremendous service for the American people, and you are helping contribute to this nation's long-term energy, economic, and national security.