CALIFORNIA - Revised Strategic Plan for Stationary Fuel Cells Released

The California Stationary Fuel Cell Collaborative (CaSFCC) has published a revised strategic plan. The 35-page publication reflects changes that have taken place in California during the past three years, including a bulk purchase bid for fuel cells by the California Power Authority (CPA), the preparation of a siting and procurement initiative by the California Department of General Services (DGS), the launch of several demonstration projects in the state, policy modifications by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to the Self Generation Investment Program and exit fee requirements, the establishment of the California Coalition of Fuel Cell Manufacturers, and the adoption of three incentive programs for which fuel cells are eligible.

The revised strategic plan emphasizes the development of sound and supportive policy for DG; support for well-designed demonstration projects; procurement of fuel-cell systems by the state; improved and expanded incentive programs; and identification of technology barriers and implementation hurdles that impact cost reduction, commercialization and deployment of fuel-cell systems.

The CaSFCC was established in June 2001 to accelerate the deployment of stationary fuel-cell technology in California. The Collaborative adopted a strategic plan in March 2002 to address issues facing fuel cells, such as high capital costs, the undemonstrated durability and reliability of fuel-cell technology, and the regulatory and policy hurdles associated with distributed generation (DG).