NEW HAVEN - Bringing New Haven to the forefront of the alternative fuels initiative, Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) today joined Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. and officials from Greater New Haven Clean Cities Coalition and the Greater New Haven Transit District (GNHTD) to unveil a design for the city’s new fuel cell buses. The buses will complement GNHTD’s existing fleet of battery-powered trolleys, which serve downtown New Haven.

“These buses will usher in the next generation of environmentally friendly vehicles, building on the city’s success with battery-powered trolleys and placing New Haven at the forefront of the alternative fuel initiative. Federal funding was critical to the success of this program, which is why I was delighted to work on New Haven’s behalf to secure this support.”

From Fiscal Years 2002-2004, DeLauro secured $3 million in federal funding to construct one fuel cell powered transit bus and another alternative-fuel powered transit bus that can ultimately be retro-fitted to be powered by fuel cell. The current generation of alternative fuel vehicles - New Haven’s battery-powered trolleys - were also funded in large measure through DeLauro’s work in Congress. In FY 2000-2001, she secured $1.25 million in funding for these trolleys. The trolleys, which do not emit any pollutants, were rolled out in June 2002.

GNHTD will announce that they have begun the process of procuring a contract to construct the buses, which are expected to be ready by 2006.

“Investing in mass transit means investing in our future,” continued DeLauro. “That is particularly true when technology promises the kinds of health benefits these buses do. Continuing this effort will mean black soot from diesel fuel will soon be a thing of the past, which in turn means lower asthma rates in our children, cleaner air and a cleaner city.”

Fuel cells emit few or no pollutants. In addition to reducing carbon dioxide emissions to virtually nothing, fuel-cell-powered engines do not emit any ground-level ozone or particulate matter (PM-10, which is the soot that is emitted by diesel engines). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared New Haven County a severe non-attainment area for both ozone and PM-10.

In addition to the fuel savings and environmental health benefits of fuel cell power, fuel-cell-powered vehicles are much quieter than diesel or natural gas powered buses, a factor which further improves the quality of life in communities that use them.

U.S. Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-3, got $3 million for the project included in the 2004-05 transportation appropriations bill.

DeLauro will join Mayor John DeStefano Jr. and members of the Greater New Haven Clean Cities Coalition and the Greater New Haven Transit District in announcing the project today. A press conference is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the State Street rail station.

"These buses will usher in the next generation of environmentally friendly vehicles, placing New Haven at the forefront of the alternative fuel initiative," she said.

A fuel cell is a device that converts hydrogen fuel and oxygen from the air into electrical power through a chemical reaction. Fuel cells provide power that is quiet, fuel-efficient and generates no harmful emissions.

The Greater New Haven Clean Cities and the Transit District are collaborating with the Department of Traffic and Parking to develop and bring the two buses to market.

The Federal Transit Administration is funding the project, which also includes money to build a hydrogen fueling station for the buses.

Other U.S. cities have buses powered by fuel cells, but New Haven’s pair will be the only ones whose fuel cells were built from scratch, said Derek Slap, DeStefano’s spokesman.

Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania State University now have hydrogen fueling stations, he said.

"The hope is that, like Yale has created a biotech boom here in New Haven, the same thing could happen with the hydrogen fuel cell technology," Slap said.

The buses will be 30-34 feet long and run on a 200-300 kilowatt fuel cell that has a 12-year life span.

They will be outfitted with wireless communications and visual marketing equipment and be fully handicapped accessible.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has said it hopes to have 10 percent of all buses purchased running on fuel cell power by 2015.

Congress originally appropriated $1 million in 2002 for creation of two buses powered by compressed natural gas. The project stalled because the bus makers folded due to lack of interest in the initiative.

DeLauro managed to preserve the funds for New Haven. Now the pot has grown to $3 million.

There are already fuel cells providing power at the Yale University’s Environmental Sciences building and the New Haven Water Pollution Control Authority wastewater treatment plant.

A half-dozen other fuel cells are scattered around Connecticut towns.

©New Haven Register 2005