WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $30 million in Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) funding for a new program focused on the development of intermediate-temperature stationary fuel cells to enable low-cost distributed power generation. ARPA-E’s Reliable Electricity Based on Electrochemical Systems (REBELS) program will develop fuel cell technology for distributed power generation to improve grid stability, increase energy security, and balance intermittent renewable technologies while reducing CO2 emissions.

“To maintain our technological lead in the 21st century, American ingenuity must continue to drive new technology options for generating, transmitting, and storing energy,” said Acting Director of ARPA-E Cheryl Martin. “ARPA-E is re-imagining distributed generation by pushing the boundaries of fuel cell technology to improve grid resiliency and reliability.”

Renewable generation technologies, such as solar and wind, pose a challenge to centralized power generation due to variability and intermittency, noted DOE. In addition, centralized generation frequently requires long transmission distances that result in power losses and leave lines susceptible to disruption during natural disasters. Many of these challenges can be mitigated through a distributed system, where power is generated in close proximity to the end-user. REBELS addresses these challenges by developing low-cost distributed generation technologies using electrochemical power generation that can also act as a storage device.