At a time when the U. S. has lost 600,000 jobs this year, the Department of Energy has reported that 675,000 new jobs in the hydrogen fuel cell market alone could be created in the next 25 years. According to the U. S. DOE, “Commercialization would create jobs in manufacturing, assembly, fuel production, repair, recycling, construction, and at auto shops and dealerships nationwide.”
The kicker is that the faster a nation moves to hydrogen powered vehicles and stationary fuel cells, the more jobs are created. If the U. S. were to lag behind Japan and the European Union, for instance then fewer jobs would be created here and more overseas.
The report states that government support of growing the fuel cell market is imperative to creating new jobs in the industry. The DOE also states that when it uses a more aggressive model for the fuel cell marketplace three times as many jobs may be created.
In an election year, when the economy and jobs are voters’ primary concerns, the DOE report is a timely effort to encourage Congress to extend tax credits for the fuel cell marketplace and other alternative energy efforts as well.