General Motors Corp. (Detroit, MI) announced that it plans to have fuel-cell-powered electric generators commercially available by 2005. GM would not produce the generators, but would provide the fuel cell technology through partnerships with other companies, which it plans to announce later this year. GM hopes to produce prototype units by late 2003 or 2004 and sell the technology in 2005 or 2006. The automaker wants to tap the lucrative "premium power" market, such as data communications companies and hospitals that are willing to pay as much as $1,000 per kilowatt-hour for reliable power.
"If we're producing hydrogen for a fuel cell that's producing power, we have the power to produce a fueling station," commented Tim Vail, director of distributive-generation solutions.
