House passes H-Prize bill

By a vote of 416 to 6, the House passed legislation to create the H-Prize (H.R. 5143), a series of awards to spur research to overcome technical challenges related to a hydrogen economy. The bill authorizes more than $50 million from 2007 through 2016 for the program. Modeled after the Ansari X Prize—a purse created to spur the development of commercial spacecraft—the H-Prize has three award categories. The first category is technical advancements, which includes four prizes of up to $1 million each awarded biennially for developments in hydrogen production, storage, distribution, and utilization. The second category is a single award of up to $4 million awarded biennially for model hydrogen vehicles that meet set performance goals. The final category, transformational technologies, will be awarded only once in the 10-year period covered by this bill and has a cash prize of $10 million. The prizes would be administered and selection criteria would be set by a private foundation or other nonprofit entity selected by the Secretary of Energy. "The bill's rapid movement through the house shows that momentum is gathering toward a national commitment to the hydrogen economy," said bill sponsor Bob Inglis (R-S.C.).