Don't Ignore Alternative Energy

By Mark Forsythe The Kansas City Post For too long Kansas City has sought a singular industrial identity. In the late 60's it was steel. The Armco plant was one of our town's largest employers. The 70's brought Marion Labs and the promise of being the pharmaceutical supplier to the world. In the 80's, Sprint was going to make us the telecommunications capitol of North America. More recently, it seems we have decided that life sciences will be the economic engine that propels Kansas City. Ignoring the conventional investment wisdom of diversification we always seem to race forward with singular purpose. All or nothing. So far that philosophy has not paid the dividends for which we have hoped. President Bush will be in Kansas City today to visit GM Fairfax and Ford Claycomo plants to discuss his plan to reduce overall gasoline consumption by 20 percent over a ten-year period. In all the excitement that accompanies any presidential visit, a landmark event will probably be lost amidst the sound bites and gratuitous shots of whatever protesters manage to assemble. Ford will showcase the world’s first drivable fuel cell hybrid electric plug-in vehicle at the Claycomo plant during the president's visit. The vehicle combines an onboard hydrogen fuel cell generator with lithium-ion batteries to deliver more than 41 MP(hydrogen)G with zero emissions. For all the naysayers and ethanol advocates who say hydrogen is not a viable fuel source or at best, years away from reality, here in our very city will be a living, breathing, zero emissions hydrogen vehicle. This is no mock-up. If there was just one hydrogen fueling depot in Kansas City, you could hit the road with this vehicle today and never burn fossil fuel again. Kansas City cannot afford to be left behind in the coming alternative energy revolution. Even if the naysayers are right, and alternative fuels are at least a decade away, isn't now the best time to position ourselves to benefit from that industry? We have the geographic advantage of a central location. We are a major air and rail transit hub. Our cost of living is low. We are surrounded by excellent universities with highly regarded engineering programs. Even our weather is desirable by offering temperature extremes that allow for real world testing in both blistering heat and freezing cold. Today was a golden opportunity to put the full court press on Ford Motor Company executives to "Consider Kansas City" for their future commercial hydrogen plans. I doubt economic development officials will take advantage. We should not miss such an opportunity again.