CaFCP staff and members traveled to the Bay Area to participate in a special event for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC supports sustainable economic growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific Region). Secretaries Ray LaHood (Transportation) and Steven Chu (Energy) co-hosted the 7th APEC Transportation and Energy Ministerial Conference in San Francisco last week. The meeting brought together delegates of energy and transportation from APEC's 21 member countries to explore options for sustainable technologies. After the meeting, FedEx hosted a transportation showcase at their hub at the Oakland Airport.
Arriving on AC TransitAlameda-Contra Costa Transit's fuel cell buses, APEC ministers and delegates toured 25 displays of sustainable transportation, many from CaFCP members. Delegates took advantage of the test track to ride in a variety of fuel cell and plug-in vehicles, and they learned about fuel cells, hydrogen stations, battery chargers, solar power and biogas from landfills.
Sec. LaHood, NHTSA administrator David Strickland, and FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt toured the showcase with APEC President Monica Whaley and Catherine Dunwoody, CaFCP's executive director. The entourage spent a few minutes at each display learning about the product and meeting the company representatives.
"The showcase provided APEC delegates with the opportunity to get out of the office and see vehicles and alternative fuels in action," said CaFCP's Chris White. "Policy makers saw that the vehicles are real, and are here, now. And that we need a portfolio of vehicles and fuels in every nation."
One of the intents of the display was to show how APEC member countries contribute to all the products on display – even those produced in regions outside APEC’s reach. For example, Mercedes-Benz uses a fuel cell system manufactured by AFCC in Canada for the B-Class F-CELL.
The showcase was CaFCP’s third opportunity this year to demonstrate fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen to Secretary LaHood. He has become a great champion for hydrogen.
Learn more about the United State’s role in APEC at www.ncapec.org
