{"id":2646,"date":"2016-07-06T09:00:19","date_gmt":"2016-07-06T13:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/plugpower.local\/?p=2646"},"modified":"2024-04-29T15:30:31","modified_gmt":"2024-04-29T19:30:31","slug":"joining-fchea-on-capitol-hill-to-help-level-the-playing-field-for-hydrogen-fuel-cells","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.plugpower.com\/blog\/joining-fchea-on-capitol-hill-to-help-level-the-playing-field-for-hydrogen-fuel-cells\/","title":{"rendered":"Joining FCHEA on Capitol Hill to Help \u2018Level the Playing Field\u2019 For Hydrogen Fuel Cells"},"content":{"rendered":"
By: Andy Marsh, CEO of Plug Power Inc.<\/strong><\/p>\n On Thursday, June 23, I represented Plug Power as a guest speaker at the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association’s (FCHEA’s) 4th annual Congressional Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Policy Briefing on Capitol Hill. We presented to more than 100 <\/a>House and Senate staff members. This unprecedented attendance represents a strong support for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.<\/p>\n The topic of discussion was \u201ccreating a level playing field,\u201d among alternative power technologies. This playing field was upset by an error in recent legislation which favors a few technologies and is interfering with the market\u2019s ability to pick winners and losers in the alternative energy market.<\/p>\n Late last year, Congress agreed to a spending bill that extended tax credits for wind and solar power technologies. By open, bipartisan acknowledgement, tax credits for fuel cells, and other advanced energy resources, should have been included in that legislation, but were erroneously left out – an issue that has created a tremendous market distortion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Leveling the playing field requires that the same tax credits be extended for fuel cells and other advanced energy technologies. And, timing is critical. Real jobs, energy security and American leadership in this emerging industry are all at risk.<\/p>\n