First Regional Fuel Cell Coming To CWU

November 20, 2003

ELLENSBURG, Wash.-- Avista Labs will deliver the first fuel cell to be installed in central Washington to a team of engineering students at Central Washington University on Monday, Nov. 24. The fuel cell will be the first part of a grant received by the Northwest Energy Technology Collaborative (NWETC) to educate students and the public about hydrogen and fuel cells.

"We are pleased to develop this partnership and receive this new fuel cell," CWU President Jerilyn S. McIntyre said. "Central has a strong industrial and engineering technology program (IET) and this provides one more tool to help our students to be market skilled when they graduate."

The Avista Labs' fuel cell that will be installed at CWU is already in use in other settings and has proved commercially viable without subsidies. "We as well, are also pleased to be a part of this program. As our company and our industry grow, we will need top quality engineers. This program is a positive step in that direction," said Avista Lab CEO, Mike Davis.

Once the fuel cell arrives in Ellensburg, CWU students will serve as project managers for installing it into a hydrogen learning center. "Not many engineering students can say they served as a project manager on installing a fuel cell," Dr. Walt Kaminski, Central's IET chair, points out. "This is a unique opportunity."

Also expected to be on hand Monday for the fuel cell delivery will be a number of teachers who are being trained to teach six days of coursework on hydrogen and fuel cells to high school students, who will in turn share what they learn with elementary students in order to build interest in science.

The teachers will receive a PEM fuel cell car kit that makes hydrogen from a solar cell that powers the fuel cell on the model car. Each car kit costs between $125 and $200.

"Young people need to understand that fuel cell technology will likely replace internal combustion," according to Morgan Middle School science teacher Kevin Dwight. "Shaping attitudes and perceptions about new technologies is necessary to shake our mental dependency on oil. Thanks to Northwest Energy Technology Collaborative, public education now has access to this technology for instructional purposes."

After completing their coursework, students will come to the CWU campus to see a fuel cell at work in order to complete the education module.

"We plan to replicate this process in other locations across Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon," Jeff Morris, NWETC director, says. "We are excited to launch this unique opportunity in Ellensburg as our first program support site."

About NWETC: NWETC is a joint, voluntary effort of business, government, non-profit, industry and educational institutions in the Pacific Northwest comprised of the Washington Technology Center, Avista Corporation, INTEC, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Puget Sound Energy, Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, and Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development.

Its purpose is to position and accelerate the emergence and growth of the energy technology industry in the Pacific Northwest, and to make the region a recognized leader for innovative research, education and product development for energy technology markets worldwide.