CTE's Southern Fuel Cell Coalition, along with a research and development program focusing on flywheel battery technology, will share $1.66 million that is included in the 2006 Transportation-Treasury-Housing Appropriation legislation recently passed by Congress.

Atlanta, GA -December 1, 2005 -- The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) announced today that the federal government has made a significant commitment to future, environmentally conscious, transportation systems by funding two initiatives that are being spearheaded by the Atlanta-based nonprofit organization. CTE's Southern Fuel Cell Coalition, along with a research and development program focusing on flywheel battery technology, will share $1.66 million that is included in the 2006 Transportation-Treasury-Housing Appropriation legislation recently passed by Congress.

The Southern Fuel Cell Coalition will use this funding to initiate five new hydrogen and fuel cell demonstration projects in the southeastern US through 2008. These projects are part of the Coalition's activities to promote interstate cooperation and technology transfer across the southeast to meet the needs of a technology niche that is expected to grow into a $7.3 billion market by 2020.

The second initiative will support the advancement of flywheel battery technology for transportation applications. While hybrid vehicles have proven to be a popular choice to reduce both fueling costs and environmental impact, there remains significant potential for improvement on both fronts. Flywheel batteries provide a smaller, more durable replacement to the chemical battery systems currently used in hybrid vehicles and have a significantly longer useable life. Moreover, flywheel battery systems have tremendous potential as an enabling technology for fuel cells in transportation applications. To accelerate the commercialization of this technology, CTE will bring together manufacturers and university researchers to develop the next generation flywheel battery system, find partners and funding to help integrate it on a hybrid fuel cell transit bus, and monitor the system's performance, safety, and reliability.

CTE extends its appreciation to Representative John Lewis (D-GA), Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL), and Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) for their support of the appropriations funding.

CTE develops and promotes advancements in transportation technologies, vehicles, infrastructure, and fuels that reduce environmental pollution and fossil fuel dependency. Founded in 1993, CTE has managed a portfolio of $80 million in team research, development, and demonstration projects in the advanced transportation field. The Southern Fuel Cell Coalition, organized by CTE, is a regional initiative that includes southern universities, national laboratories, corporations, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies working in partnership to identify and act upon opportunities to bring hydrogen and fuel cell technologies to market. With initial funding from the Federal Transit Administration, the Coalition has organized a regional network of stakeholders, has already initiated three regional fuel cell demonstration projects, and is planning a national fuel cell technology conference to be hosted in Atlanta in 2006.



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