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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, May 5, 2003

ISLAND VOICES
State has lead in energy efforts

By Richard Rocheleau
Director of the Hawai'i Natural Energy Institute at UH-Manoa

A recent Advertiser editorial, "Iceland has lesson for sunny Hawai'i," advises that our Islands should join our "chilly friends to the north and be leaders in the hydrogen revolution." In fact, Hawai'i is a nationally recognized leader in the field, doing work we consider much more meaningful than a hydrogen-filling station.

Just last week, the Hawaii Fuel Cell Test Facility officially opened its doors in Honolulu. A joint venture spearheaded by the University of Hawai'i at Manoa's Hawai'i Natural Energy Institute, Hawaiian Electric Co., the Office of Naval Research and UTC Fuel Cells, this multimillion-dollar facility is using sophisticated devices to characterize the performance and durability of state-of-the-art fuel cells. This work will help to develop hydrogen fuel cells to the point of cost-competitive commercialization.

Hailed as a facility "second to none in the world," by Capt. Tim McGee, assistant chief of naval research, the Hawaii Fuel Cell Test Facility is just the latest in a number of hydrogen initiatives led by our state. Thanks to federal money, we're also conducting research on hydrogen-rich methane hydrates, an enormous energy resource found in seafloor sediments, and are developing fuel cells for Navy applications.

Also in the planning stages is a renewable energy park to be in 'Ewa, incorporating photovoltaic (solar electric) technology and the modeling and conceptual design of an integrated system combining this renewable solar-energy source, hydrogen production and hydrogen storage technologies, tied in with potential military fuel-cell applications.

With U.S. Department of Energy money, HNEI is partnering with others to design, build and operate the Hawaii Hydrogen Power Park. This three-year project, to be on the Big Island, will demonstrate an integrated hydrogen production, storage and fuel-cell system.

So when it comes to leadership in the area of hydrogen, the state can take great pride in the fact that we are indeed on the forefront of the "hydrogen revolution."