Fuel Cells

Fuel cells generate electricity through a chemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen, offering a high-efficiency, low-emission alternative to combustion engines and batteries. While they excel in reliability, scalability, and energy density, widespread adoption is hindered by high costs—particularly the need for platinum in PEM cells—and the lack of hydrogen fueling infrastructure. Applications range from portable electronics and stationary power (including combined heat and power systems) to transportation. In the U.S., the Department of Energy and various state-level policies, such as Renewable Portfolio Standards and tax credits, are working to reduce system costs and expand infrastructure to make fuel cells more competitive with gasoline-powered vehicles.

• Fuel cells offer several technical advantages over internal combustion engines and batteries, including higher thermodynamic efficiency, quieter operation due to having no moving parts, and higher energy density. When used in combined heat and power (CHP) systems, they can achieve overall energy efficiencies of up to 90 percent.
• The environmental impact of fuel cells depends on the hydrogen source: using renewable energy for electrolysis results in no harmful emissions, while hydrogen extracted from natural gas via methane reformation still emits about 50 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than combustion engines.
• Widespread commercialization is limited by four primary technical obstacles: the high cost of materials (specifically platinum in PEM cells), the energy-intensive nature of hydrogen production, the difficulty of storing hydrogen (requiring high-pressure tanks or cryogenic temperatures), and the requirement for high fuel purity.
• Fuel cell applications are divided into portable power (electronics), stationary power (CHP, UPS, and primary power units), and transportation (forklifts, buses, and cars). Notable stationary installations include a 14.9-MW facility in the U.S. and a 59-MW facility in South Korea.
• The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has set 2020 goals to reduce automotive fuel cell system costs to $30-$40 per kilowatt and renewable hydrogen fuel costs to less than $4 per gallon gasoline equivalent.
• U.S. state-level support for fuel cells manifests through net metering, Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) in six states, tax incentives, and direct grants or loans, such as New York's $1 billion Green Bank and California's funding for hydrogen stations.

APA

Laporte, A., & Shook, R. (2015). Fuel Cells. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-fuel-cells

Chicago

Laporte, Amaury, and Rachael Shook. Fuel Cells. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2015. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-fuel-cells.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Laporte |first1=Amaury |last2=Shook |first2=Rachael |title=Fuel Cells |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=5 November 2015 |url=https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-fuel-cells |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{laporte2015fuel, author = {Laporte, Amaury and Shook, Rachael}, title = {{Fuel Cells}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2015}, month = nov, url = {https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-fuel-cells}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }