NY to spend $21M on "hydropower-to-hydrogen" project

New York Power Authority (NYPA) is about to embark on a $21 million dollar hydrogen power and vehicle project. The plan will fund and oversee the construction of two hydrogen generating stations which will incorporate vehicle fueling capabilities as well as the purchasing of a fleet of hydrogen-fueled vehicles. The stations will reportedly cost $7.5 million while the remaining $13.5 million will be set aside for hydrogen-fueled fleet. Electricity to power the electrolysis process will come from the Niagara Power Project.
NYPA approved the project on Tuesday following the completion of feasibility studies conducted with the Electric Power Research Institute, a California-based, non-profit research organization. Further studies to determine the best locations for the hydrogen stations will continue for an additional three months. Hydrogen production is expected to begin by 2007, however, NYPA expects that when complete in three years, the hydrogen stations will be able to produce the equivalent of 120 gallons of fuel per day.

The article doesn't specifically state if the project calls for vehicles equipped with hydrogen combustion engines or hydrogen fuel cells. Either way, it sounds almost too good to be true. Clean electricity used to create hydrogen which will be used to fuel a fleet of vehicles.

[Source: Buffalo News]