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Progress Energy Installs Hydrogen Fuel Cell at Skilled-Nursing Facility

Posted on: Thursday, 1 December 2005, 12:00 CST

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Progress Energy Florida has installed a hydrogen fuel cell to provide backup electric power to a Pinellas County skilled-nursing facility.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020923/CHM008LOGO-c)

A 5-kilowatt fuel cell was installed at Palm Garden of Largo, a skilled- nursing facility on the west coast of Florida. It will provide hallway and safety lighting for the facility if hurricanes or other emergencies interrupt power.

The joint project between Progress Energy and Plug Power will advance the technology further. A fuel cell is similar to a battery, and uses hydrogen to create electricity. It has low emissions and operates quietly.

"Progress Energy is committed to the exploration of alternative fuels," said Vincent M. Dolan, vice president of Regulatory and Customer Relations for Progress Energy Florida. "Hydrogen holds the potential to be an alternative energy supply for the future."

Hydrogen is the third most-abundant element on earth; however, it must be extracted from other substances, such as water or fossil fuels. The challenge is developing an economical way to extract hydrogen to justify replacing existing fuels. For this fuel cell, hydrogen is extracted from natural gas.

"Palm Garden is proud to be a part of this research for Progress Energy and Plug Power," said Kevin Mort, administrator of the skilled-nursing facility. "Not only does this help Palm Garden's residents in the present, it also will help establish the future of this technology."

In addition to the project at Palm Garden, Progress Energy also is involved in a number of other projects to explore the viability of hydrogen as a carrier of energy, including installing the first sustainable hydrogen fuel cell at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park near Crystal River and piloting hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

"These projects give us research opportunities and experience with this technology," said John Masiello, Progress Energy's manager of demand-side management and alternative energy strategy. "The goal for this project is to test the fuel cell's operation in Florida's hot, humid and sometimes-severe weather."

Progress Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Progress Energy , provides electricity and related services to more than 1.5 million customers in Florida. The company is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla., and serves a territory encompassing over 20,000 square miles including the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater, as well as the Central Florida area surrounding Orlando. For more information about Progress Energy, visit the company's Web site at http://www.progress-energy.com/.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020923/CHM008LOGO-cAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Progress Energy Florida

CONTACT: Progress Energy Florida 24-hour media line, +1-866-520-6397

Web site: http://www.progress-energy.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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