News release
| For immediate release: January 10, 2007 |
For more information: Jim Erskine, Communications, (360) 902-7206 Steve Valandra, Communications, (360)
902-7215 |
Washington develops multi-state contract for fuel cells
Effort is part of alliance among 15 western states
OLYMPIA – Washington state’s Department of General Administration expects to award in January the first multi-state government contract for fuel cells.
The devices being contracted for – Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells - use a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity. The contract will offer several different brands and designs of PEM fuel cells.
“The contract is an important step for the industry,” says Tucker Ruberti, market development manager for IdaTech, a fuel-cell manufacturer in Oregon. “The entire contracting process has been open and collaborative. It will be a model for other states and regions that wish to procure fuel-cell systems in the future.”
A fuel cell produces electricity through a chemical reaction, instead of burning fossil fuels, such as diesel or propane. The environmental benefits include:
- Little or no air pollution; the only by-products are heat and water vapor.
- Almost no noise pollution; there are no moving parts, so fuel cells are almost silent.
- No potential to leak pollutants. Because there are no moving parts, the device does not use a petroleum-based lubricant, which can leak from a standard generator and pollute the air or groundwater.
These benefits, especially the potential to reduce pollutant emissions, are the reason for intensive research efforts by companies and public agencies to find cost-effective applications.
The various fuel cells to be offered in the contract produce between 1 and 30 kilowatts of direct-current power. One kilowatt of electricity is roughly equal to the power needed to run eight computers and monitors. These units will be used primarily as a back-up power source at remote stationary sites, such as radio towers and microwave repeater stations.
General Administration developed the contract for use by the 15 states that belong to the Western States Contracting Alliance (WSCA), which includes Washington. Other non-WSCA states may choose to use the contract as well, subject to approval by WSCA directors.
WSCA formed to provide these states with a way to pool their collective purchasing power so they can negotiate lower prices on goods and services. All governmental entities, including municipalities within WSCA states, can use these contracts. This includes local governments in Washington.
Several public agencies in the Northwest are already using fuel cells. The Washington State Patrol installed a 1 kilowatt fuel cell last August as a back-up power source at a radio communications tower in Eastern Washington.
The Washington Legislature promoted fuel cells with the passage of an alternative energy bill in 2003. The law directs state agencies to consider the use of fuel cells as the primary power source for new or newly remodeled state facilities.
General Administration is a central-services agency in Washington. Its responsibilities include management of a variety of contracts that total more than $400 million annually.
General Administration contracts: http://www.ga.wa.gov/Purchase/index.html
Western States Contracting Alliance: http://www.aboutwsca.org/welcome.cfm
General Administration on the web: http://www.ga.wa.gov/index.html
