PR 81 05 BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: TUESDAY, Oct. 11, 2005 Contact: Ed Mosey | , BPA (503)-230-5131     TriMet installs fuel cell at its Powell Garage BPA to test new application of "electricity in a box" PORTLAND, Ore. - TriMet today joined with the Bonneville Power Administration to test environmentally friendly fuel cell technology at the LIFT facility at Powell Garage in SE Portland. The hydrogen fuel cell will provide backup power to keep sensitive equipment running when the regular electrical system fails. "Fuel cells are a clean, reliable source of energy for the future," said Steve Wright, BPA administrator. "This is the first application of a fuel cell as a backup power supply for critical equipment. Tests such as this will help introduce this promising technology into the marketplace." Clean energy source The fuel cell installed at the bus garage generates one kilowatt of electricity through a chemical reaction using hydrogen and oxygen. Because it doesn't rely on combustion, energy is generated with little or no pollutants, unlike fossil-fueled power sources. The only byproduct of the fuel cell reaction is water. "This is another opportunity for TriMet to pioneer environmentally friendly technologies," said TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen. "This project brings us a step closer to generating energy in ways that reduce dependence on foreign sources and are more sustainable." Emergency power source The fuel cell replaces an oversized diesel generator burning over five gallons of fuel per hour. Diesel-powered backup systems are commonly used by industrial and commercial operations to ensure that essential lighting and equipment stays on line during outages. The project is designed to evaluate cost-effective applications of hydrogen-powered fuel cells. BPA will use the demonstration project to help educate the public and raise awareness of fuel cell technology. In November public tours will be available. The fuel cell unit costs about $6,000 and is powered by commercial-grade hydrogen. Fuel cell technology is moving from the research and development stage to commercial applications. During the next decade or two, fuel cells could be powering automobiles, buses and even homes. Submitted for distribution on 10-11-2005 at 1:12 PM

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