Transportation Energy

Hydrogen Fuel Cells

A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device. A fuel cell converts hydrogen and oxygen into water and in the process it produces zero-emission electricity. Although the prospect of widespread hydrogen fuel has received attention from the government and industry, hydrogen offers limited potential to improve oil security in the short term because of the nuanced technology and the cost of production.

• Legislative Initiatives:  In his 2003 State of the Union Address, President Bush announced a $720 million research and development initiative for hydrogen as a transportation fuel. The Hydrogen Fuel Initiative involves cooperative vehicle research between the federal government, universities, and private industry. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 creates a program to produce hydrogen from a variety of sources, including renewable energy and renewable fuels. Congress has supported Hydrogen fuel and cell research by increasing funding from $185 million in FY 2003 to $258 million in FY 2006. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 authorizes a total of $3.3 billion through FY 2010 for research and development.