Published: January 01, 2007 11:51 pm      

SAFETY: Fuel cells enable emergency contact

Medina — HYDROGEN FUEL: Statewide implementation offers clean energy technology during emergencies.

BY MIRANDA VAGG

vaggm@gnnewspaper.com

Fuel cell technology provides efficient and clean energy.

The Fuel Cells for Emergency Communications program is a combination of efforts from the New York Power Authority and the New York State Police. The $434,000 program will be used to set up fuel cell technology enabling backup power at 22 public safety communications facilities, including one in Albion.

“These fuel cell installations will keep state communications on-line when they are often needed the most, during power outages and other emergency situations,” said Timothy S. Carey, NYPA’s president and chief executive officer in a statement released Thursday.

The implementation of hydrogen backup power for state communications facilities across New York will work to keep people informed during power failures.

The New York State Department of Transportation tower located in Albion is a communications tower utilized by both the State Police and DOT, said DOT Assistant Engineer Rich Lovelace.

The facility handles communications in Western New York and was disabled during the October snow emergency. The use of fuel cell backup power in the future would allow communications facilities to operate as normal in the event of a power outage.

“Part of it is they’ll be able to generate electricity for the tower in the event of a power failure,” Lovelace said.

The hydrogen fuel would be brought to the site in a container comparable to a propane tank, which is then hooked into a unit on the energy transmitter, converting hydrogen into energy, according to Lovelace.

Currently New York State is also working on building a statewide wireless communications network so state workers don’t have to depend on Verizon, Cingular or other wireless providers, according to Lovelace. The network would allow for open communication between crews that would otherwise not be available if communication towers are disabled and left without a backup energy supply.

“It’s been in the works for a while,” Lovelace said. “I think a lot of people are going to do this throughout the country. (Hurricane) Katrina was a pretty good lesson learned.”

The fuel cell technology that would be used to power the communications tower is a clean energy technology, according to Carey.

“The Power Authority has undertaken more than a dozen fuel cell projects, in various types of applications using different fuel sources, to demonstrate reductions in air pollution and the advantages of distributed power supply,” he said.

Unlike traditional technologies, which can be “unpredictable, expensive to maintain and harmful to the environment,” the fuel cells offer backup power without damaging the environment through emission, Carey stated.

Funding for the FC4EC program will be provided from Petroleum Overcharge Restitution funds. The money comes from proceeds of court settlements relating to oil company violations of federal price controls in the 1970s and 1980s.

Contact Miranda Vagg at (585) 798-1400, Ext. 2225.