FuelCellsWorks

Well, thank you very much. This is really a great honor, I have to say. Steve, thank you for your nice introduction; that’s exactly the way I wrote it. (Laughter)

And this is really great, to finally receive this great, great award. And of course I want to thank the Academy (Laughter) and all the amazing Oscar –wait a minute, that’s the wrong speech. What’s the matter with me? Jesus. (Laughter)

Anyway, you know, I’m a little confused because I’m getting so many awards, so it gets a little bit all mixed up. But this was more like a dream, to get the Oscar, so this was a whole different category. But last week I got an award for having the most awards, (Laughter) so there are all kinds of awards that are coming my way and I really appreciate it.

But it is really a great honor to receive this award and also to be here at this great convention, the Hydrogen Convention and Summit where all of you leaders from all over the United States come together here.

But this award is great, because the 2010 Matsunaga Memorial Hydrogen Award means a lot to me because Senator Matsunaga was a great visionary. As you have already pointed out just before, the man really had big dreams and big visions and slowly all of those are becoming a reality. And this is what I liked about him. There is so much that he dreamt of, if it is the National Peace Academy or if it is the National Poet Laureate Program. And that, by the way, he has worked on for 20 years and for 20 years he has heard, “No, this won’t happen, it can’t be done.” And he kept fighting and fighting and after 20 years finally now we have it.

And the Hydrogen Future, which was another one of his great visions, which is evolving into a hydrogen economy and it’s evolving into green jobs for hardworking Americans and also reducing global warming. All of you here, of course, are America’s hydrogen entrepreneurs and you are the hardworking people and the geniuses that make his dreams become a reality. So I want to give a big hand, let’s give a big hand to all of you for the great work that you are doing. (Applause)

Now, you are making California the world leader in hydrogen technology and you’re pumping up our economy and you’re making us greener at the same time. And this is what I always said, that what is good for the environment also can be good for the economy. I want to congratulate all of you for the great actions that you are taking. You are the true action heroes.

California now has — and I’d just like to brag a little bit here, because I think it’s time that we brag a little bit of all the things that we have accomplished. For instance, California has now 31 hydrogen fueling stations that are open or under construction and they are popping up all over the place also on Main Street. As a matter of fact, this was one of the big visions that I had and big goals that I had, even though people thought I was crazy. But we went ahead.

Near my home, for instance, there is now a Shell station that sells the usual three grades of gasoline but it also has a hydrogen pump right there. And I went there to the ribbon cutting of that opening ceremony. Normally I don’t go to ribbon cuttings or opening ceremonies of fueling stations. (Laughter) But in this particular case I made an exception because of the hydrogen pump that was included in that gas station there. And it was a wonderful experience, the different models of hydrogen-powered cars that were standing in line there. And it was really great to see the new activities that are going on in that direction. It was truly amazing.

California also has hundreds of hydrogen-powered cars and buses. Just last week the city of Burbank began using the world’s first plug-in hybrid hydrogen buses, which is a combination of different technologies all coming together. In California many of you are already making hydrogen from wind and from solar power and from farm and municipal waste. You are even testing home fuels so that everyone can make transportation fuels in their own backyard. Of course, those that do will be laughing when the oil companies raise the price again and all of a sudden the price is $4 or $5 or $6 a gallon. It will not have any effect on those individuals.

And hydrogen is modernizing the way that we use electricity. Like Bloom Energy, for instance, has created a new fuel cell that powers homes and buildings. And this is really a wonderful development because the advantage there is that you don’t even have to go to the grid. You have your fuel cell right next to your building. And, of course, up in Silicon Valley a lot of the buildings are already using this technology and a lot of homes are using this technology. And now we are trying to do the same thing with government buildings. There will be many of the government buildings that will be soon powered by fuel cells. We want to be a perfect example.

But all of this is just the beginning. We are proving that these technologies are viable and they are marketable. We are doing this all together. This is one big family. We all have to do this together; not one person can do that.

Now, back in 2004, I launched our Hydrogen Highway. And the reason why we launched that here was because, simply, there was always the argument, what is first? Do we need to build a hydrogen highway, hydrogen fueling stations, or do we need first to build the cars? The car companies always said, “Well, we are not going to build any hydrogen-fueled cars if there are no fueling stations.” So that’s why we went ahead. We wanted to stop that argument. And as we are building more and more fueling stations, we will have more and more cars become available.

California set out to prove to the nation and to the world that hydrogen vehicles that are on the road and on our highways are safe and are affordable. We wanted California to be the place where it all happens and it is happening right now. We are developing hydrogen communities in Santa Monica, Irvine, Torrance, Newport Beach and Burbank will be added in 2013 and Los Angeles in 2014. Right now we are building state-sponsored stations in the Bay Area and in Los Angeles and in Orange County. And by 2017 we expect to have 45,000 hydrogen cars on the road here in California.

Now, this is all, of course, very important, even though it starts small. But think about it. Have you ever seen a great movement, a worldwide movement that did not start on the grassroots level? Everything starts small and then it starts blooming and growing and mushrooming and then it goes statewide, nationwide and then eventually worldwide. And this is exactly what we are seeing here also.

I love seeing the innovation in alternative vehicles. This is exactly what I envisioned when I challenged Detroit to think outside the box and not just to produce the same things over and over. Now, of course, in the beginning they were very resistant. And you saw what happened to Detroit because they were very resistant and because they did not develop alternative-fuel vehicles quick enough. All of a sudden they had to be bailed out by the government because they were not competitive anymore.

And this is why I had my big kind of debate with them already back in 2000, before I became governor. I said to the company that bought the franchise of Hummer, I said, “You’ve got to build the Hummer, the H2, H3 and H4, with hydrogen-fueled engines, because then the whole argument is off the table, that these are fuel, gas-guzzling cars.” I said, “Then you’re powered by hydrogen with zero emissions and the argument will be gone and you will have the greatest car in the world, the greatest SUV.”

They said it would take eight years. I said, “Why don’t you start working on it now?” I said, “If you wait until tomorrow it’s one day longer. Start working on it now.” Well, in 2008 I called them; they still were not ready yet. But now they are getting ready. We see the technology developing, we see the alternative-fuel vehicles now coming out of Detroit also. Finally they are learning.

And this is why it is so important that we all work together. And I said I wanted to see Californians drive vehicles powered by our most promising technologies. Now, we don’t pick winners. We don’t do that. We don’t care if it is biofuel, vegetable oil, natural gas, battery, electric or if it is hydrogen cars, as long as we stop relying on fossil fuel and as long as we get off fossil fuel, which is coming from foreign countries that hate us, that despise us. There’s no reason. (Applause)

And let’s not forget that hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. We can have it forever. We have already come a long way, of course but we know that we still have a lot of work ahead of us. But it’s wonderful work. It excites me. It is really wonderful to work on something that you believe in.

And that includes, of course, waking up the federal government. Think about that. We’ve got to wake up the federal government. I mean, here we have an energy secretary who is a bright guy — who is Californian, by the way — he’s a great leader but he’s not as enthusiastic about what we are doing.

And so I think it is very important, (Applause) I think it’s very important that we all call him and we all write to him and that we all bombard him with emails and let him know how important it is for him to get on board and to go and not pick winners but to look at all of the different alternatives, including hydrogen. It’s very, very important. (Applause)

Because the fact of the matter is that we are creating the roadmap for energy security and sustainability for the whole country. Right now it is hydrogen that gives the average consumer the same driving experience as gasoline cars or diesel cars. We need to get them into the hands, we need to get those cars into the hands of more everyday drivers. And with the help of the federal government and with the help of the car manufacturers we can do that. We can really literally create an explosion.

Now, of course, every single time we talk about this vision people say it can’t be done. But you know, I never get discouraged that it can’t be done and neither did Senator Matsunaga. He didn’t get discouraged either when year after year they told him that it can’t be done. And I have heard that, of course, very early on. Imagine, you’re 15 years old and you’re in Austria and you say, “I want to be a bodybuilding champion.”

Of course everyone says, “It can’t be done. You’ve got to become a ski champion like everyone else, or a bicycle champion or a track and field champion or a soccer champion but not a bodybuilding champion. It can’t be done.” Well, I was the youngest to win the Mr. Universe contest at the age of 20 and I won 13 World Championship titles, even though they said it can’t be done.

And then, when I wanted to become an actor and I said, “I want to be a leading man,” I heard the same thing.

“You have an accent. No one ever did it with an accent.” (Laughter, applause) “You have this body with all those bumps sticking out. You can’t become an actor like that. The guys that are in are Woody Allen and Dustin Hoffman, all the little guys.” (Laughter) “You’re 20 years behind time. Hercules movies we did 20 years ago,” they said. “It can’t be done.”

Well, the rest is history. I became the highest paid actor with Terminator 3 with $30 million. So, I mean, that shows you that it can be done. Anything can be done if you have a very clear vision.

And the same is when I ran for governor. They said, “You cannot run for governor. You have to start little, like as a mayor or as a state senator.”

And I said, “Well, why would I do that? I want to be governor.” (Laughter) So I ran for governor and I won. I won twice. (Applause)

And they also said that it can’t be done that you can go and protect the economy and protect the environment all simultaneously. But it can be done. I think you are proving it every day.

So this is where the bottom line is, so this is why I want to just say in the end to you, I am 100 percent committed to this cause. I will continue fighting for it even when I’m out of office, because for me this is something that I love to do, to fight for the environment, to fight global warming and to go and fight for new technologies and new ideas. So you will have me as your partner forever, that I can guarantee you.

So let’s continue working together as one big family. We’re going to get it done. Yes, we can. Thank you very much. Thank you, all of you. (Applause)

SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn.– UTC Power, a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company, today announced that its new PureCell® Model 400 fuel cell has been certified to the American National Standards Institute/CSA American Standard for Stationary Fuel Cell Power Systems (ANSI/CSA FC-1).  This industry standard assures customers that the UTC Power 400 kW fuel cell meets rigorous safety and performance requirements.

“Having FC-1 certification brings us many advantages and will help us accelerate deployment of our new model stationary fuel cell,” said Neal Montany, Director, UTC Power Stationary Fuel Cell Business.

Fuel cells are one of the cleanest, quietest and most efficient on-site power generation technologies available and meet the strictest air emissions requirements. The PureCell Model 400 can provide up to 400 kW of assured electrical power, plus up to 1.7 million Btu/hour of heat for combined heat and power applications.  The system has a 20-year overall system operating life and a 10-year fuel cell stack life – twice that of the earlier model 200 kW UTC Power fuel stationary fuel cell.

Certification testing was performed by CSA International, a leading provider of product testing and certification services. The organization issues certification marks for qualified products, and CSA marks are accepted by regulatory authorities in the occupational health and safety, electrical, gas, building and other fields in the United States.

The advantages of receiving FC-1 certification include reduced cost and time of fuel cell installation; facilitation of approval by local inspectors; increased access to clean energy funding sources, and improved marketability.

Since the early 1990s, UTC Power has designed, manufactured and installed more than 260 stationary fuel cell power plants at diverse locations worldwide.  The fleet has accumulated more than 9 million operating hours.

Fuel cells fit a broad range of applications, and key market sectors for the new UTC Power fuel cell include supermarkets, hospitals, hotels and various industrial applications.

UTC Power is part of United Technologies Corp. (UTC), which provides energy-efficient products and services to the aerospace and building industries.  UTC is a founding member of the U.S. Green Building Council and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change and has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index every year since it was launched in 1999.  Based in South Windsor, Conn., UTC Power is the world leader in developing and producing fuel cells that generate power for buildings and for transportation, space and defense applications.  For more information, please visit www.utcpower.com

Bill Would Accelerate Fuel Cell Commercialization in Material Handling Applications

LATHAM, N.Y. — Plug Power Inc. (Nasdaq:PLUG ), a leader in providing clean, reliable energy solutions, hails the announcement of the Fuel Cell Industrial Vehicle Jobs Act of 2010, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY) on April 28, 2010.

The Fuel Cell Industrial Vehicle Jobs Act of 2010 makes material handling fuel cell vehicles eligible under the existing Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit for Qualified Fuel Cell Motor Vehicles. In doing so, this bill extends financial incentives to material handling vehicles which will facilitate large-scale conversions to green technology at manufacturing and distribution centers across the country.

“Helping America’s businesses grow and rebuilding the economy are my top priorities,” said Congressman Paul Tonko. “The Fuel Cell Industrial Vehicles Jobs Act of 2010 enables a local, innovative business the opportunity to grow and create jobs, while also bringing parity between our neighbor, Plug Power, and major corporations. Our energy and tax policies should inspire growth, partnership and innovation in order to provide cutting edge jobs and products. I believe this bill will do just that.”‪

“We applaud Congressman Tonko for introducing this forward-thinking and effective legislation. This bill can create thousands of green jobs in his district, in New York State, and throughout the country,” said Andy Marsh, CEO of Plug Power.

“The North American material handling market currently represents a total available market of over $4 billion annually,” continued Marsh. “By encouraging growth in the fuel cell industry, this legislation promotes commercially viable green technology solutions in this sector.”

The passage of this bill and the projected sales momentum it will generate also strengthens commercial partnerships, such as the recently announced agreement with The Raymond Corporation to jointly sell and market GenDrive fuel cells in Raymond forklift trucks. Plug Power’s ability to seek and execute these critical business relationships will continue to drive purchase orders and sustain Plug Power’s leadership position in the material handling market.

“Clear guidance on the tax credit and grant programs will stimulate demand for manufacturing jobs, supply chain and field service positions in support of fuel cell powered lift trucks,” said Chuck Pascarelli, President of the sales and marketing division of The Raymond Corporation.

“I’m proud to support this bill and to fight for the economy of Upstate New York,” said Congressman Scott Murphy. “I will continue to work with Plug Power to build clean energy jobs and make our region a world leader in the 21st century innovation economy.”

About Plug Power Inc.

Plug Power Inc. (Nasdaq:PLUG ) is an established leader in the development and deployment and commercialization of alternative fuel cell technology. Revolutionizing the way the world thinks about clean energy, Plug Power has installed more commercial fuel cell systems in the motive and stationary power markets than anyone else in the industry. The Company is actively engaged with private and public customers in targeted markets throughout the world. For more information about how to join Plug Power’s energy revolution as an investor, customer, supplier or strategic partner, please visit www.plugpower.com.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at the National Hydrogen Association Hydrogen Conference and Expo, held at the Long Beach Convention Center. The event featured nearly 100 sessions and 20 presentations on solutions for building fueling stations and a study of H2 station plans in Germany, Canada and Norway. (Stephen Carr / Press-Telegram)

LONG BEACH – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was honored here Wednesday for a decade-long championship of eco-friendly hydrogen and alternative fuel vehicles.

The governor dropped by an alternative-fuel conference in Long Beach to pick up the award and preview a fleet of hydrogen-fueled cars and trucks from automakers like Honda, Toyota and Mercedes.

“All this is very important, even if it starts small,” Schwarzenegger told a few hundred people gathered for the National Hydrogen Association’s annual conference at the city’s convention center.

“Just like all big movements we’ve seen across the world. They start small and mushroom.”

Schwarzenegger’s visit to Long Beach comes as work continues on dozens of hydrogen-fuel stations in California – the “hydrogen highway” infrastructure promoted by the governor during his inaugural 2003 run for office.

He urged attendees, representing large firms, start-ups and universities across the country, to continue research and development into alternative fuels as a way to cut pollution and wean the nation from petroleum.

“Ultimately, we don’t care what kind of fuel (is preferred by consumers) as long as we move away from fossil fuels,” Schwarzenegger said. “We have to work to stop importing fuel from foreign countries … and countries that hate us.”

Later,

the governor visited the convention center floor, where dozens of automakers, fuel companies and researchers showed off the latest in fuel cell technology.There are now several hundred hydrogen-fuel cars and trucks roaming California’s roadways, and that number is expected to reach 45,000 by 2017.

The state’s Air Resources Board also estimates there will be as many as 100 hydrogen fueling stations scattered across California by then as well.

Schwarzenegger said motorists choosing alternative-fuel vehicles in the future will help cut greenhouse gases while immunizing themselves from oil price spikes.

“Of course you’ll all be laughing when the oil companies raise the price to $4, $5 or $6 a gallon,” he said.
The National Hydrogen Association conference concluded Wednesday afternoon following three days of meetings, panel discussions, demonstrations and addresses by some of the industry’s engineers, scientists and air-quality experts.

Throughout the conference, attendees lined up to test-drive hydrogen vehicles by Chevrolet, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes, Toyota and Volkswagen.

May 6 (Bloomberg) — Toyota Motor Corp., the biggest seller of hybrid cars, said it has cut the cost of making fuel-cell vehicles by about 90 percent since the mid-2000s and may be able to price its first retail hydrogen model at about $50,000.

The first model will be a sedan with driving range equal to a gasoline-powered car, “with some extra cost,” Yoshihiko Masuda, Toyota’s managing director for advanced autos, said in an interview. The Japanese carmaker has cut production costs to about one-tenth of earlier estimates that ran as high as $1 million per car and would need to cut current costs by about half before starting retail sales, he said.

“Our target is, we don’t lose money with introduction of the vehicle,” Masuda said in Torrance, California, where Toyota’s U.S. sales unit is based. “Production cost should be covered within the price of the vehicle.”

Offering hydrogen cars that don’t sell at a loss may boost support for the technology, which has lagged behind electric cars in U.S. research funding amid criticism it’s too expensive. Toyota, General Motors Co., Honda Motor Co., Daimler AG and Hyundai Motor Co. have all said they will be ready to sell fuel- cell vehicles to retail customers by about 2015.

Toyota plans to sell an “affordable” model in the U.S. and elsewhere, the Toyota City, Japan-based company has said without providing details. Were the carmaker to set a U.S. price at about $50,000, the market for the vehicles would be “small, but with some support,” Masuda said, without elaborating.

Masuda declined to discuss Toyota’s sales volume goal for the car.

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