Remarks of
Robert Gee
Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy
U.S. Department of Energy
at the Dedication
of the
New York Power Authority/ONSI Fuel Cell
in Central Park, New York City
April 20, 1999
Let me first offer my congratulations to Rapp (C.D. Rappleyea, NYPA's chairman and CEO) and his team for their initiative in making this event possible. To paraphrase another famous New Yorker - Yogi Berra - this fuel cell is the result of 95 percent dedication and the other half is inspiration.
To Rapp and others on this stage, your dedication AND your inspiration are on display today in this ceremony.
In many ways, the installation of this fuel cell - in this setting - reflects the commitment of the Power authority and this City to progress.
It reflects your commitment to protecting the quality of our environment - not only for those who enjoy this park today but for future generations. It also reflects your commitment to be something of a modern-day pioneer - to be one of the first in this nation to adopt an emerging technology - to be a pacesetter.
This fuel cell represents another step in the growth of a new energy industry. It is one of about a hundred such units installed as part of our program to demonstrate and deploy climate-friendly technologies - technologies that emit far fewer greenhouse gases than traditional power sources.
New York has played host to several of these first-of-a-kind units. The New York Power Authority has been in on the ground floor of this program. But to the best of our knowledge, the New York Police Department - with the fuel cell we are dedicating today - is the first police force in the world to be at least partially powered by fuel cells.
Speaking for Secretary Bill Richardson, we at the Department of Energy are extremely pleased to be part of this ceremony.
It may surprise many of you to know that inside this nondescript container exists the product of almost 3 decades of technology development.
Well before I joined the Department - in fact, well before the time of a lot of people at the Energy Department today - there were a few individuals in both government and the private sector who saw the potential for fuel cells.
The technology offered a revolutionary way to generate electricity. More like a battery than a boiler. Producing high-quality power by an electrochemical reaction rather than by combustion. Virtually no air pollutants. Highly efficient. Very quiet.
Those farsighted individuals - from both the public and private sectors - joined in a partnership that has brought us to this point here today.
It was fuel cell technology that helped take Americans to the moon. But those pioneers in the 1970s -- those working in Washington or in the research labs of United Technologies -- now ONSI -- in South Windsor, Connecticut -- knew that the technology they envisioned for more down-to-earth applications would have to be much different.
It would have to withstand the rigors of commercial use - in all kinds of weather -- not just for days or weeks but for months and years. It would have to be reliable. It would have to be safe. It would have to be affordable. And above all, it would have to be clean.
It is not an overstatement - I believe - to say that the technical challenges of putting a fuel cell on the moon were no greater than the technical challenges of putting a fuel cell in Central Park. We succeeded in the former. And today, we are celebrating success in the latter.
The Department of Energy is here today - because we share your commitment to progress. We are here today because we are part of an Administration that believes energy progress and environmental progress can go hand-in-hand.
Most importantly, we are here today NOT just because we were part of this technology's past, but because we are strong believers in this technology's future. As we look to new technologies to solve urban air pollution and to curb the buildup of greenhouse gases, fuel cells rise to the top of the list. We may be standing in front of an 19th century building, but we are seeing a preview of 21st century technology.
We are proud of the partnership role we have played with other Government agencies - like the Department of Defense and others - in bringing this technology to the threshold of commercial use.
We recognize that challenges remain - economic challenges, the challenges of moving any new innovation from the laboratory into commercially reliable use. But we also recognize that technologies like this one here today have one big advantage.
They have standing behind them a private sector that is willing to be out on the cutting edge...that is willing to be a pioneer....one that has the dedication and the inspiration to turn a drawing board concept of a few years ago into a commercial reality for coming century.
It is a pleasure to join you here today.
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