Congressman David Wu:Fuel Cells Working for Oregon
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman David Wu joined Oregon clean energy leaders today to discuss the benefits that locally produced combined heat and power fuel cells are providing to our region’s economy.
Hillsboro’s Ronler Acres Fire Station is using a fuel cell manufactured less than a half mile away by ClearEdge Power to simultaneously reduce carbon emissions and operating costs, saving taxpayers money and helping protect our environment.
“Oregon is once again leading the way toward a more sustainable future,” said Congressman David Wu. “The next-generation design of fuel cell technology recently installed at Hillsboro’s fire station replaces an older fuel cell unit, keeping our first responders on the front lines of clean energy users.”
The fire station expects to use all the heat and electricity from the fuel cell, reducing the station’s carbon emissions by 12 tons per year. In addition, operating costs will be lower due to the high 90 percent energy efficiency of the unit.
“The newest high-efficiency fuel cells show how this technology has evolved,” said John Rinier, Hillsboro fire marshal. “In addition to providing power to our fire station, the fuel cell will also provide heat. This energy source is another example of Hillsboro’s commitment to finding more sustainable ways of doing business.”
Both generations of fuel cells were produced by ClearEdge Power, a local economic success story that has expanded significantly in the past three years, increasing the number of Oregon jobs from 15 in 2007 to more than 120 today.
“ClearEdge Power is proud to offer a viable, long-term component for the green energy value system,” said Russell Ford, President and CEO of ClearEdge Power. “The launch of our ClearEdge5 high-efficiency fuel cell offers locally generated heat and power at the point of use, and our market entry is creating local jobs in Oregon, California, and across our supply chain.”
Congressman Wu has introduced legislation that would help additional people reap the benefits of fuel cell technology and create local jobs by more fairly applying clean energy tax credits now available for other energy sources like wind and solar. The bipartisan Fuel Cell Tax Parity Act, H.R. 3660, fixes the U.S. tax code so that it treats both residential and commercial uses of fuel cells equally.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act raised the tax credit cap on commercially deployed fuel cell units to $1,500 per 0.5 kilowatt (kW) of capacity, but it left the residential cap at $500 per 0.5 kilowatt (kW) of capacity. This means that any families who want to install a fuel cell at their homes get a third the tax credit of businesses that use this technology.
At the same time, the recovery act totally removed the caps for solar, small wind, and geothermal units, exacerbating the existing tax disparity between fuel cells and other clean energy sources, which are treated the same regardless of whether they are for commercial or residential use.
By making residential fuel cells eligible for a tax credit worth $1,500 per 0.5 kilowatt (kW) of capacity, Congressman Wu’s legislation will level the playing field between residential and commercial uses, while helping close the gap between fuel cells and other clean energy technologies.
“Fuel cells can provide families with both heat and power from a clean, efficient energy source,” said Congressman Wu. “My legislation will help expand the use of this cutting-edge technology, in turn creating more jobs in our community.”
“Through Congressman Wu’s proposed federal legislation, Americans would benefit from fair tax treatment for residential fuel cell use, similar to the tax credits currently available to solar customers,” said Russell Ford. “This would positively impact our communities now and into the future.”
The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) helped make it financially viable for the Hillsboro fire station to implement this new clean energy technology.
“As the Pacific Northwest’s largest electricity supplier, BPA supports developing new technologies to help meet the region’s growing demand for energy with clean, cost-effective power,” said BPA Acting Deputy Administrator Allen Burns. “BPA is proud to support ClearEdge Power’s innovative work on fuel cells, and we believe this technology also could help address climate change issues and enhance energy independence.”
