[July 23, 2008]

University Of North Dakota: EERC Director: "Hydrogen Is Ready for the People"

(M2 PressWIRE Via Acquire Media NewsEdge)
RDATE:23072008

LARAMIE, W.Y. -- The Director of the Energy & Environmental Research
Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota (UND) Dr. Gerald
Groenewold announced that hydrogen is ready for the people. He made
comments at a press event during the 4th Annual Hydrogen Implementation
Conference, in Laramie, Wyoming. The EERC is a sponsor of the event.

"Hydrogen is not the fuel of the future-it is the fuel of today!
Depending on the world's energy situation, certain fuel cell vehicles
could be commercially available in 4-5 years," said Groenewold. "We
have the technologies to move forward with hydrogen as a viable fuel,
but we lack the commercial infrastructure to make it available to
everyone."

The EERC is the National Center for Hydrogen Technology (NCHT), a
designation from the U.S. Department of Energy in 2004 in recognition
of over 50 years of hydrogen research involving fossil and renewable
energy. The NCHT is currently leading more than $60 million in current
and pending hydrogen-related research, development, demonstration, and
commercialization activities, with more than 70 private sector partners
nationwide.

"The EERC is involved with a wide array of projects to make hydrogen
available using the current refueling infrastructure, including the
development of a unique on-demand hydrogen production technology,"
Groenewold said. "Additional projects include hydrogen production from
biomass and fossil fuels; battlefield hydrogen from JP-8; hydrogen
production from wind energy; hydrogen purification, separation, and
storage; and end uses, such as small-scale power systems and fuel cell
vehicles."

On September 4, 2008, the EERC will host a Hydrogen Action Summit
focused on all of these technologies at its facilities in Grand Forks,
North Dakota. The event is sponsored by U.S.

Senator Byron Dorgan's Red River Valley Research Corridor and will
feature strategic presentations on hydrogen production, infrastructure,
and utilization. The focus of the Action Summit is how to implement
hydrogen today.

"Senator Dorgan has been one of the EERC's strongest supporters,
securing seed funding for our hydrogen program, and we are honored to
host his summit focused on further advancement of the hydrogen
economy," Groenewold said.

The next day, September 5, 2008, the EERC will dedicate its new $3.5
million NCHT facility. Construction began about 2 years ago on the
facility. The building, which is already occupied, was designed to
significantly enhance the strategic research, development, testing, and
commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies for the EERC
and its commercial partners. The facility houses a variety of
specialized state-of-the-art equipment dedicated to providing strategic
solutions for the world's energy needs, while at the same time creating
opportunities for regional economic growth.

More information about the Hydrogen Action Summit and the NCHT Building
Dedication is available at www.undeerc.org.

The EERC is a research, development, demonstration, and
commercialization facility recognized as one of the world' leading
developers of cleaner, more efficient energy technologies as well as
environmental technologies to protect and clean our air, water, and
soil. It leverages and enhances government research dollars by
developing working partnerships with industry, government, and the
research community. Since 1987, the EERC has had over 1000 clients in
all 50 states and 50 countries. The EERC's current research portfolio
is more than $224 million.

CONTACT: Derek Walters, Communications Manager, University Of North
Dakota
Tel: +1 701 777 5113
e-mail: dwalters@undeerc.org

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