Plug Power Inc. (Nasdaq: PLUG) was recently awarded a $1.8 million contract by the U.S. Department of Defense for the Common Core Power Production Program.

The U.S. Air Force is seeking long-term acquisition of modular, deployable power generation and distribution systems, which include fuel cells. This program will help develop application and integration platforms for a variety of stationary and light mobility applications for the U.S. military. The objective is to develop power generation equipment that can be acquired through standard Air Force acquisition processes.

"We are very pleased with this opportunity to work with the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers," said Mark Sperry, Plug Power Chief Marketing Officer. "We are always looking for more applications to apply our core technology and are excited about the possibilities brought by the Common Core Power Production Program."

Under this Program, a total of 15 GenCore® systems will be placed in both fielded demonstration programs and laboratory test programs to develop and validate application requirements for integration into infrastructure support systems.

Additionally, this program will also fund Plug Power research and development and integration activities addressing deployable power. These activities will expand the market application of Plug Power's GenCore product platform and provide value in both military and commercial applications.

Plug Power expects to receive approximately $1.8 million in cash during this one-year program, which is being funded by the U.S. Air Force, Advanced Power Transformation Office, and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center.

About Plug Power

Plug Power Inc. designs and develops on-site energy systems based on proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Plug Power's strategic partners include GE Fuel Cell Systems, DTE Energy Technologies, Vaillant GmbH, Honda R&D Co., Ltd., Engelhard Corporation and Celanese Ventures. The Company's headquarters are located in Latham, N.Y., with offices in Washington, D.C., and The Netherlands.