The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) will begin installing 17 Plug Power Inc. (Latham, NY, U.S.) fuel cells at several commercial and municipal customer locations on Long Island this summer.

The 5-kW fuel cells will interconnect to LIPA's grid and operate in a combined heat and power mode, providing electricity and on-site heat at select LIPA customer locations. Operation of these natural gas powered systems enable evaluation of the integration of fuel cells at the specific point of need.

By the end of 2002, LIPA also will install three 5-kW DC backup power systems, operating on hydrogen, at facilities on Long Island. This will allow an initial assessment of fuel cells as a backup generation source.

LIPA also will expand the operation of fuel cells connected to the electric grid at its West Babylon substation through introduction of Plug Power fuel cell systems that have increased life and functionality. The deployment of Plug Power's stationary unit (2002 design) at the West Babylon site will support continued assessment of fuel cell integration into the existing utility electric grid and development of remote dispatch capability for distributed power sources.

At the request of Governor George Pataki, LIPA's involvement in the development of fuel cell technology began in 2000 when it field tested six Plug Power fuel cells at locations on Long Island to gain operational experience that supported the evolution of grid interconnected fuel cell systems.These fuel cells are currently being operated and maintained by Elemco Testing Company, Inc. of Bohemia. Elemco technicians were trained by Plug Power in the operation and maintenance of fuel cells and have responsibility for the ongoing operation of the West Babylon site under contract to KeySpan Energy.

Funding for this new $3.6 million contract is being provided under LIPA's Clean Energy Initiative (CEI). The CEI is a five-year, $170 million program, originally proposed by Governor Pataki, designed, in part, to foster the development and application of clean energy technologies including fuel cells.

For more information, visit www.lipower.org.