Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today announced Clemson University will receive $1.5 million in funding for research into hydrogen as a fuel source. The Clemson grant is part of a larger $119 million package announced today by the Department of Energy. The focus of the funding is to create a “roadmap” aimed at identifying and overcoming the technical and manufacturing challenges associated with the further development of commercially available hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. “I’m pleased with today’s grant announcement from DOE,” said U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina). Graham serves as the co-chair of the Senate Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Caucus. “Clemson University, and other research institutes across South Carolina, will play a prominent role in helping push hydrogen research forward. What Detroit was to the automotive industry, South Carolina can be to hydrogen.” “As a nation we need to become less dependent on foreign oil,” said Graham. “To help us achieve that goal, it’s my hope the next generation of automobiles will not be solely dependent on gasoline as a fuel source. It would be irresponsible if 50 years from now we’re still reliant on Middle Eastern oil to drive our national economy. We need to get away from fossil fuels and start looking at using different sources of energy such as hydrogen to power our automobiles. Today’s grant announcement is another step in the right direction.” Graham noted South Carolina is a leader in hydrogen research. The University of South Carolina is developing hydrogen fuel cells, Clemson is working on hydrogen vehicles and the Savannah River Site is a leading research facility in hydrogen storage and technology. In addition, these groups and others recently united behind the South Carolina Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association which coordinates the state’s efforts to be a leading player in the emerging hydrogen economy. In addition to the grant announcement, DOE today also unveiled the Roadmap on Manufacturing R&D for the Hydrogen Economy. The 80-page document addresses challenges to manufacturing, storage and production of fuel cell technologies and proposes solutions to overcome such challenges, focusing primarily on near commercial technologies. #####