Memoranda of understanding for marketing GE Fuel Cell Systems for residential and small commercial applications have been signed by Flint Energies, with headquarters in Warner Robins, GA, and New Jersey Resources Corp.

New Jersey Resources provides retail and wholesale energy services to customers in New Jersey and in states from the Gulf Coast to New England. Its principal subsidiary is New Jersey Natural Gas Co., serving more than 389,000 customers in New Jersey’s Monmouth and Ocean counties and parts of Morris and Middlesex counties.

Flint Energies is a customer-owned utility providing power to members in parts of 16 central Georgia counties from Macon to Columbus. Its marketing agreement means serving as GE Fuel Cell Systems’ exclusive distributor in all of Georgia south of LaGrange and Augusta.

Selling of residential units is expected to start in 2001, and small business-sized units will be marketed starting in 2002. Retail prices for the residential system are expected to run between $7,500 and $10,000 in 2001, and are expected to fall to less than $4,000 by 2003. (For more information, see the page 1 article in the August 28 issue of The News.)

GE Fuel Cell Systems was formed in February 1999 as a joint venture between GE Power Systems and Plug Power to market, sell, install, and service Plug Power-designed and -manufactured fuel cells, up to 35-kW capacity, for residential and small business power applications.

Plug Power sources say the fuel cells are designed to provide 100% of the electricity needs of a home or small business at the point of consumption

Publication date: 09/04/2000