What are the advantages of fuel cells over an internal combustion engine, coal-fired power plant, nuclear power or any other form of power generation?
A. The main advantages of fuel cells over combustion and nuclear power are: first, they can dramatically reduce pollution and related environmental concerns by reducing or eliminating dangerous byproducts of combustion or nuclear waste. Second, since a fuel cell can run on pure hydrogen, of which there is an inexhaustible supply, our dependence on a finite natural resource is reduced. Third, when necessary, fuel cells can run on a wide variety of different fuels including gasoline, methanol and other alcohols, natural gas, biogas, landfill gas, and other hydrocarbon fuels. Other clean power sources such as solar, hydroelectric, wind, and geothermal power cannot be easily or efficiently stored for later or peak times of use. Hydrogen, however, can be stored at any time for later power generation, and can be used to augment other clean sources of power. Fuel Cell 2000 Online Fuel Cell Information Center: http://216.51.18.233/index_e.html US Department of Energy Fuel Cell web site http://
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