The fuel cell to be installed at Middletown High School will be a phosphoric acid fuel cell supplied by UTC Power of South Windsor, Connecticut. It will provide approximately 48% of the estimated baseload electricity requirements for the school and will supply heat to the swimming pool and the school’s space heating system. Additionally, the fuel cell will provide grid-independent power to support the school’s function as an emergency shelter at times when the electric grid is unavailable.

“We applaud Middletown’s past and continuing commitment to clean energy,” said Lise Dondy, president of CCEF. “Middletown, in 2005, was one of the first municipalities to commit to the 20% by 2010 clean energy campaign, to date has earned 3-kilowatts of solar arrays through the Connecticut Clean Energy Communities Program and now is undertaking the installation of a fuel cell at its new high school. The town is a shining example of a proactive environmental steward.”

Mayor Sebastian N. Giuliano thanked CCEF for its monetary support and non-monetary encouragement of the Middletown High School Fuel Cell project. Giuliano said, “I think CCEF’s funding recognizes and only solidifies Middletown’s standing as an environmentally conscious community. This fuel cell will not only power up the building in an environmentally friendly way but it will also serve as an educational tool for science students of all ages in our school system. Imagine having a physics, geology, chemistry and biology experiment of this magnitude right on-site for students to actually see, feel, and learn from.”

"We're delighted to add the new Middletown High School to the growing list of educational institutions that have chosen UTC Power PureCell™ 200 technology because of its environmental, economic, societal and educational benefits," said Jan van Dokkum, UTC Power president. "Fuel cells are one of the cleanest power generating technologies available today and are more than twice as efficient as the electrical grid when the fuel cell's exhaust heat is put to work, as it will be at Middletown High School."

About the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF)
CCEF was created by the Connecticut General Assembly and is administered by Connecticut Innovations, a quasi-public organization. CCEF promotes the development and commercialization of clean energy technologies; the creation of clean energy supply; and the demand for electricity from clean, renewable sources in Connecticut in order to strengthen Connecticut’s economy, protect community health, improve the environment, and promote a secure energy supply for the state. CCEF’s funding comes from a surcharge on electric ratepayers’ utility bills. For more information on CCEF, please visit www.ctcleanenergy.com.

About Connecticut Innovations, Inc.
Connecticut Innovations (CI) is a quasi-public organization dedicated to driving a vibrant, entrepreneurial, technology-based economy in Connecticut. CI stimulates high-tech growth by investing in: early-stage Connecticut technology companies; university/industry research collaborations; technology transfer; and, clean energy initiatives through the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund. CI also fosters collaboration among government, business, nonprofit and academic organizations to advance technology growth and promotes public policies consistent with CI’s mission. For more information on CI, please visit www.ctinnovations.com.