Verizon has taken the lead among the telecoms by stepping into the future with hydrogen technology. Last September, Verizon went online in Garden City, New York at its call-switching center and office building by using power from seven UTC Power fuel cells as the primary source for electricity. These fuel cells can generate up to 200 kilowatts of electrical power per hour, (or enough electricity to power 400 single-family homes).
Yesterday, I had talked about the hydrogen rollout finding its roots in a grass roots movement. A more likely scenario, though, will be that hydrogen outposts, both rural and urban, will be popping up all over the nation, to form a loose network of hydrogen facilities.
Another scenario in regards to rolling out hydrogen for vehicles involves large corporations, like Verizon, who are already using hydrogen to power their buildings. These corporations can also offer hydrogen to their employees for the purposes of fueling their H2 cars and vehicles as an incentive to drive greener and cleaner.
As hydrogen continues to rollout through various distribution channels it will be important to keep in mind, that fueling stations are not the only option in regards to refueling cars. With a little outside-the-box thinking, hydrogen can be made available at alternative locations as well. In California, some of the Costco Wholesale mega stores have several parking spots dedicated solely for electric car owners who wish to recharge while they shop. Similar systems can be made available one day for hydrogen car owners as well.