U.S. Federal Agencies Conducting Fuel Cell and Hydrogen RD&D
Three federal Departments have substantial fuel cell research programs: the Departments of Energy (DOE), Defense (DOD), and Transportation (DOT). A number of other federal agencies have tested and/or purchased fuel cells, mostly for off-grid or backup power; some have tested fuel cell vehicles. The current attitude of the federal government toward fuel cells is however mixed and the outlook clouded, at least in the short term. For example, the recent debt reduction agreement calls for up to $2.2 trillion in reductions to total discretionary funding between fiscal years 2011-2021. The $2.2 trillion cut will be made in at least two installments. The first will cut total spending by about $1 trillion over 10 years as a result of discretionary budget totals set in the bill, including significant cuts to DOD. The second will result from a bipartisan committee established to find more than $1 trillion in additional cuts. The committee has until November 23, 2011, to report a legislative proposal to achieve this goal, and if it fails to produce recommended legislation, the bill sets automatic procedures to cut $1.2 trillion more from federal budgets through FY2021. While the specific impact to individual federal agencies and programs is not yet known, it is likely that some fuel cell-related programs will be impacted.
