Letter to Carol Browner White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy

Letter

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that he has written a personal letter to Carol Browner, the Obama Administration's Director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy, asking her visit Honeoye Falls' GM plant to see firsthand the great work being done there and the possibilities created by hydrogen fuels cells. Last fiscal year the administration proposed a huge cut in funding for Hydrogen fuel cell research, and today Schumer said that he hoped a visit by one of the nation's top energy officials would help change the administration's stance going forward. For the FY 2010 budget, the administration advocated a 60% ($100 million) cut in the Fuel Cell Technologies program -- the federal program that funds hydrogen fuel cell research. Congress restored the cuts, but Schumer said he hoped a visit by Browner would help avoid this fight in the future.

"There is no better facility, and no better workforce, than the one at Honeoye falls to showcase the tremendous potential of hydrogen fuel cells," said Schumer."Fully funding the Fuel Cell Technologies program is important for our country's future, and critical for the region. It will help create jobs locally, and help break our countries need for foreign oil."

A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, with water and heat as its by-product. As long as fuel is supplied, the fuel cell will continue to generate power. Since the conversion of the fuel to energy takes place via an electrochemical process, not combustion, the process is clean, quiet and highly efficient -- two to three times more efficient than fuel burning.

According to assessments by the National Academies and the Hydrogen Technical Advisory Committee, fuel cell technology is not only meeting and exceeding the government's long-term research and development plan, but it is also on track to achieve commercial viability by 2015. As the U.S. considers pathways to achieve aggressive goals for gas and greenhouse gas reductions, it is critical to develop diverse technological options, like fuel cells.

Other countries are aggressively pursuing hydrogen and fuel cells including Japan and Germany, which plan early commercialization in 2015. The U.S. is currently a leader in automotive fuel cell technology, but must continue to invest in this research to remain a leader, particularly in places like the Rochester-Finger Lakes region. Right now, the region is a national hub for fuel cell technologies and is home to research plants that employ hundreds of New Yorkers. The community has responded to the rapidly growing field by developing a clean energy business incubator and using local colleges and universities like the Rochester Institute of Technology to research the next generation of fuel cells.

As GM has regained its footing in the marketplace, Schumer has been a fierce advocate for the Honeoye Falls plant. Just last month, Schumer wrote a personal letter to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus urging him to choose the local GM plant to help develop the Navy's upcoming Underwater Unmanned Vehicles. The UUVs are likely to become a key staple of the Navy in the coming years as it transitions to new operations all while trying to reduce the country's reliance on foreign oil. Receiving the contract would mean a huge economic boost for the entire region as the plant would likely have to hire more staff to complete the project.

The full text of Schumer's letter is below

Dear Ms. Browner:

I write to invite you to visit the General Motors Fuel Cell Research Lab in Honeoye Falls, New York to see firsthand the research capabilities and potential the Fuel Cell Research Lab provides. Honeoye Falls's cutting edge technology and history of advanced research into fuel cells places it at the forefront of fuel cell research and technology.

The technology and practices that have been developed at Honeoye Falls can help the United States achieve energy independence while serving to advance our nation's clean energy goals; it is a one of a kind facility in the United States. GM's award-winning fuel cell Chevrolet Equinox vehicle runs on the fuel cell technology developed at the lab. This technology was developed through Honeoye Falls's partnership with the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). This fuel cell system is real and already in use and will be ready for mass production in 2015 -- less than 6 years from now. From an innovation standpoint, the GM facility's close geographic proximity and longstanding synergy with RIT makes this lab a clear model for ongoing fuel cell research.

Funding for fuel cell research is essential to ensuring that the United States remains at the forefront of commercializing this new technology to help wean America off of foreign oil. While advanced biofuels and battery powered vehicles are projected to ultimately achieve noteworthy reductions in Green House Gas Emissions (GHG), the National Research Council found that fuel cell vehicle technology will be a necessary part of our energy portfolio if we are to achieve the target of 80% reduction by 2050. Hydrogen shows increasingly great promise as a low carbon energy pathway. The Department of Energy's analyses show that over the next decade, fuel cell vehicles running on hydrogen derived from natural gas will show significant reductions in GHG emissions on a well-to-wheel basis. When produced from renewable sources, biomass, or nuclear energy, hydrogen can achieve a zero carbon footprint. It would be a mistake for our country to ignore the potential that Honeoye Falls has shown towards achieving this goal. The General Motors Fuel Cell Research Lab in Honeoye Falls, New York is laying the groundwork for our nation's clean energy future and I sincerely hope you are able to come see this remarkable work in person.

Thank you for your consideration. Please do not hesitate to contact my staff at 202-224-6542 should you have any questions or require additional information.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer

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