LARSON, LOCAL OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE FUEL CELL BUS FOR HARTFORD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 31, 2006

LARSON, LOCAL OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE FUEL CELL BUS FOR HARTFORD
Initiative will Bring New England?s First Zero-Emission Fuel Cell Bus to Connecticut

HARTFORD ? U.S. Representative John B. Larson (CT-1) and local officials today announced that Hartford will receive New England?s first zero-emission hybrid fuel cell bus. Larson was joined by officials from the Greater Hartford Transit District, CTTRANSIT, UTC Power, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT), and the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) at Union Station in Hartford.

?This initiative is the kind of collaboration needed between federal, state, and local governments and private partners to achieve energy independence,? stated Larson. ?By working together, we were able to obtain the grant to fund New England?s first fuel cell bus, a great first step towards energy independence.

?It?s only appropriate that Connecticut, as the Fuel Cell Capitol of the world, be the first state in New England to receive this bus, especially since it will be powered by fuel cells built by UTC Power of South Windsor. The State?s commitment to this project will help Connecticut retain its dominance in the fuel cell industry.?

?With the high price of gas, uncertainty in the Middle East, and the threat of global warming, we need to transition from a petro economy to a hydrogen economy. The federal government needs to lead the way with bold initiatives. This project is the first step towards a fleet of fuel cell buses in Hartford, across Connecticut, and around the country. With the proper investment, the fuel cell industry will be able to produce a commercially viable product that will allow consumers to have a fuel cell vehicle in their garage.?

Larson worked with the various partners associated with this project to obtain a $2.9 million Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant to pay for the bus and the construction of the infrastructure to support future fuel cell transportation projects in Greater Hartford. A new hydrogen fueling facility will be constructed in South Windsor by UTC Power.

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