10th Anniversary Banquet

The host for the evening was Dr. John Weete, Vice President for Research at West Virginia University. The banquet featured presentations by technology and industry leaders in West Virginia such as Rita A. Bajura, Director of the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory, the nation's lead laboratory for the development of clean-coal-to-hydrogen technologies, and Steve Walker, President of Walker Machinery and a leading industry proponent for West Virginia coal.

A National Event with a Local Theme

The 2004 National AFV Day Odyssey was a nationwide event designed and executed by the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC) to promote awareness about alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. The NAFTC, headquartered at the West Virginia University National Research Center for Coal & Energy (NRCCE), recruited more than 50 cities to host Odyssey events all across the nation on Friday, April 2, 2004. WVU NRCCE spearheaded the West Virginia celebration. We showcased hybrid electric vehicles such as the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight and Civic Hybrid as cleaner, more energy efficient transportation choices for West Virginians. We presented information about the role West Virginia can play in clean-coal-to-hydrogen technology development and deployment for fuel cell vehicles of the future.

West Virginia and Hydrogen for Transportation

Transportation represents around 40% of our nation’s total demand for energy. Nearly all of that 40% comes from oil. If our nation’s strategy is to move to the hydrogen economy to diminish our reliance on oil, we will need a significant source of feedstock and energy to derive that hydrogen. Hydrogen does not exist in its pure form in nature. It must be derived from some source. West Virginia’s coal and water could be that source of hydrogen through a technology know as coal gasification. The technology offers the possibility of affordably capturing carbon dioxide for long term storage, thus diminishing the release of this green house gas to the atmosphere. As a bonus, electricity can be generated at the same time. Not only can coal gasification be used to derive hydrogen, it also can be used to make superior hydrocarbon liquid fuels while other parts of the hydrogen transportation system are being developed.

While the hydrogen economy is “down the road,” it is not too early for West Virginians to become educated about the possibilities for the state to be positioned to take full advantage of the economic opportunities that may develop.

About the Clean Cities Program    

In 1994, West Virginia proudly became the 21st Clean Cities Coalition member and was only the 2nd entire state to join this grass roots group of 82 organizations. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Clean Cities Program supports public and private partnerships that promote the adoption of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs). The mission of the Clean Cities Program is to enhance our nation's energy security and air quality by supporting public and private partnerships that deploy clean-burning AFVs and build their associated fueling infrastructure.

Since its inception, the West Virginia Clean State program has been under the helm of the West Virginia Development Office’s Jeff Herholdt. The program has seen many changes in its ten years, none bigger than the restructuring of the natural gas industry, which has posed tremendous challenges for the AFV movement. Now, with hybrid electric vehicles becoming a viable, affordable choice for West Virginia, the future holds promise for renewed vigor. Coupled with the fact that U.S. leaders espouse a hydrogen vehicle alternative, West Virginia can once again play a central role in the promotion of alternative fuels.

Clean, hydrogen powered vehicles can mean not only a greener, healthier environment, but also wealthier outlook for West Virginia as the nation turns to clean coal processes for producing hydrogen.

The banquet presented information to decision makers and other stakeholders to allow a vision of West Virginia as a transportation energy leader to take shape. The banquet was also an opportunity to celebrate our ten years as a leader in alternative fuel vehicles.