America's fuel cell footprint is growing tremendously, helping to keep the United States at pace - and even ahead in some applications - of determined and growing international competition. More than 50 MW of stationary fuel cells were either installed or purchased and 1,500 fuel cell forklifts deployed or ordered in the United States since April 2010, according our new report, State of the States: Fuel Cells in America 2011.
The report provides comprehensive state by state coverage of policies, deployments, installations and funding occurring in the past year. In its 2010 report, State of the States: Fuel Cells in America, Fuel Cells 2000 singled out California, Connecticut, New York, Ohio and South Carolina as leaders in moving the industry forward in the U.S. These "Top 5" states continue their reign in 2011, but several other states are hot on their heels. Fuel Cells 2000 selected Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, and Texas as "Up and Coming" states to watch.
Other impressive numbers from the report:
- A dozen current or soon to be opened fuel cell installations are in the megawatt (MW) range - between 1.2 and 2.8 MW in size each - in California alone.
- 30 fuel cell or hydrogen-powered buses were either put on the road or plans were announced for deployment in numerous states, including AL, CA, CT, DE, IL, MA, MI, OH, SC, TN and TX.
- By the end of 2011, California plans to have at least 20 public hydrogen vehicle fueling stations operating or under construction, and Hawaii announced plans to open 25 stations in Oahu by 2015.
- Fuel cell companies are adding jobs. Bloom Energy, for example, greatly expanded its California operations and announced plans to open a manufacturing facility in Delaware. ClearEdge Power increased its workforce by more than 500% in past year. Bing Energy relocated to Florida, bringing hundreds of jobs to the state.
The report provides comprehensive details on current and planned fuel cell installations, forklift deployments, hydrogen fueling stations as well as policies and legislation enacted since our last report.
(This is a summary of the report. To read the entire report, click here.) |
Fuel cell-powered forklifts are proving to be a technology that can enhance today's materials handling operations. More than 2,000 fuel cell forklifts are being installed and operated at warehouses across the United States by familiar companies such as Coca-Cola, FedEx, Wal-Mart, Nissan, BMW, Wegmans, Whole Foods, Nestlé Waters, Bridgestone-Firestone and Kimberly-Clark. Similarly, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is exploring its ability to capitalize on the benefits of fuel cell forklifts in its warehouse operations.
