The challenge, officially called the Greater Columbia Fuel Cell Challenge,
was made at the National Hydrogen Association's Annual Conference in Long
Beach, Calif., and organized by USC, the City of Columbia, the South
Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) and EngenuitySC to collaborate with
private sector leaders from all areas of the fuel cell market for the
unprecedented deployment of fuel cell and alternative energy technologies
into multiple city, university and public applications in Columbia.
With one of the nation's top fuel cell research programs located at USC
and several other alternative fuel cell projects around the state, the
region is uniquely positioned to play a leadership role in the development
of the next energy economy.
USC provides the central role in Columbia's industry leadership --
including the country's only National Science Foundation Center for Fuel
Cells and the unique opportunity for 235,000 square feet of facilities
within Innovista, USC's research and innovation district, dedicated to the
cultivation of the fuel cell and Future Fuel industry.
With a 2005-2008 research, construction and faculty budget exceeding 100
million dollars aimed at commercially viable fuel cells and ten percent of
new faculty hires in the field of fuel cell research, the University is
committed to continuing its leadership role in Future Fuel development.
The University also continues to build on established international
partnerships with Germany's Institut Solare Energiesysteme and the Korean
Institute for Energy Research while simultaneously working to secure
additional global relationships.
USC Vice President for Research and Health Sciences, Dr. Harris Pastides,
noted that the Challenge aligns the University's leading research focus on
fuel cells and Future Fuels with the City of Columbia's commitment to
becoming a pre-eminent location for the hydrogen and fuel cell economy.
According to Bob Coble, the Mayor of the City of Columbia and co-chair of
EngenuitySC, when combining the research of USC, the training of
technology school students for fuel cell service and the support of the
public and private sector, the City of Columbia is fully equipped to be a
world-class, self-sufficient, full process home for fuel cell technology.
SCRA Board Member, Larry Wilson said, "By partnering with industry from
the full supply chain of the hydrogen and fuel cell economy, Columbia will
become the model city for large-scale use and implementation of fuel cell
and alternative energy applications."
Through the Challenge's solicitation of ideas from companies and service
providers, groundbreaking plans will be implemented to incorporate
innovative fuel cell applications in a multi-year, multi-million dollar
project.