Editorial: Pioneering a clean fuel

Tuesday, May 23, 2006 | 7:33 a.m.

For more than a year the city of Las Vegas has been assisting Honda Motor Co. and the federal government in testing how hydrogen-powered cars operate in arid conditions. Since January 2005 the city has been leasing two Honda cars, valued at more than $1 million apiece, for a combined $14,400 a year. They are two of only 14 in use in the country.

The city's fleet also includes four trucks that were converted to run on a blend of hydrogen and natural gas. Federal grants paid for the conversions.

Three years ago the city became home to the country's first hydrogen refueling station. Located at Buffalo Road and Cheyenne Avenue, its $10.8 million cost was covered by federal funds and private investors.

Now there are plans to install a second hydrogen fueling station, using nearly $9 million in federal research funds awarded to UNLV and employing the expertise of the university's mechanical engineering department. The station will be located at the Las Vegas Valley Water District, at Valley View and Charleston boulevards. It is scheduled to open in October, and the Water District plans to have two hydrogen-powered trucks that will use the station.

The city is also planning to use federal funds in adding two hydrogen-powered shuttle buses and six hydrogen-powered trucks to its fleet.

Hydrogen fuel, which emits only steam, has the potential to become a leading fuel within 20 or 30 years. When its history is written, we hope Las Vegas and UNLV get the credit they deserve for being pioneers in this field.