HTAC will advise Secretary Bodman on issues related to the development of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

The 25 members of the committee were selected from more than 100 nominees and comprise technical expertise and stakeholder viewpoints, the Department of Energy said.

"Research, development and deployment of hydrogen is central to President Bush's Advanced Energy Initiative," Bodman said. "Receiving candid advice from this committee is one of the many ways we are working to meet the President's goal of moving toward a hydrogen economy and reducing our dependence on foreign sources of oil."

van Dokkum said, "UTC Power will bring a unique perspective to this prestigious panel because we have pioneered fuel cell technology for more than 40 years and are the only company that has developed successful applications for fuel cells in space flight, transportation and on-site power generation. I appreciate U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons (R-Conn.) nominating me for the committee."

A member of the board of directors of the National Hydrogen Association and WestStart-CALSTART, an advanced transportation technologies consortium, van Dokkum also is actively involved in the California Fuel Cell Partnership and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., provides high-technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries. Its UTC Power unit, based in South Windsor, Conn., includes UTC Fuel Cells and is a full-service provider of environmentally advanced power solutions. With more than 40 years of experience, UTC Power is a world leader in developing and producing fuel cells for on-site power, transportation and space flight applications, and a developer of innovative combined cooling, heating and power applications in the distributed energy market.