House Backs $10 Million 'H-Prize' - Again

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill earlier today authorizing the Department of Energy to create a competition modeled after the X-Prize to encourage innovation in hydrogen research. The bill passed last year, but stalled in the Senate.

Congressman Bob Inglis (R-SC) -- the bill's lead author -- outlined details of the plan last month, which include multi-million dollar prizes that would be given out every two years for technological advancements (hydrogen production, storage, distribution and utilization), prototypes, and transformation technologies.

Technological Advancements – Four prizes of up to $1 million awarded biennially in the categories of hydrogen
Production, Storage, Distribution and Utilization;

Prototypes
– One prize of up to $4 million awarded biennially that forces working hydrogen vehicle prototypes to meet ambitious performance goals; and

Transformational Technologies
– One grand prize consisting of a $10 million cash award, funded in whole or in part by federal contribution. The goal of $40 million in additional matching funds could be awarded for development of wells-to-wheels breakthrough technologies.

Purdue University recently unveiled a rather cool and efficient method of generating hydrogen by pouring water over pellets made from aluminum and gallium, which could solve the hydrogen storage and transportation problems. South Carolina, Inglis' home state, may be an ideal state for hydrogen research due to its prior work researching hydrogen for its bomb-making capabilities.

(Source: Watching C-SPAN while waiting for the vote on the cloning prohibition bill.)

Image: HydrogenForecast.com.