The National Fuel Cell Research Center was established at the University of California Irvine by the U.S. Department of Energy (D.O.E.) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) with the goal of both developing and transitioning to a form of power generation that is both energy efficient and environmentally sensitive. A key partner in developing and testing the center concept was the Southern California Edison company through the U.C. Irvine Pacific Rim Consortium on Combustion, Energy, and the Environment (PARCON)
On February 25, 1998, approximately 200 community and energy industry leaders attended the Center's dedication ceremony at the UCI Henry Samueli School of Engineering. Special guest speakers included:
- U.S. DOE Deputy Assistant Secretary for Coal and Power Systems, George Rudins
- California Energy Commission Chair William J. Keese
- Southern California Edison President and COO Stephen S. Frank
- UCI Chancellor Laurel L. Wilkening
The DOE and the CEC have recognized the significance of the NFCRC efforts in bringing government agencies, business and academia together to develop effective public-private alliances -- in the case of the NFCRC, in order to develop advanced sources of power generation.
"We are pleased that the UC Irvine National Fuel Cell Research Center has the commitment of many public and private partners in developing a technology that will help meet the needs of the competitive energy market," said California Energy Commission Chair William J. Keese. "We strongly support the technology transfer and education elements, which are fully consistent with the Energy Commission's goal of expanding consumer choice."
Last updated: September 13, 2007 8:36 AM