By next fall, Middletown High School will be powered by fuel cell technology thanks to an $800,000 state grant to cover the costs of installation.
The fuel cell will generate electricity, heat the swimming pool and ultimately save taxpayers money, according to school and state officials. Gov. M. Jodi Rell said about $800,000 in state funds will go toward the project.
“Middletown, in 2005, was one of the first municipalities in Connecticut to commit to a clean energy campaign,” Gov. M. Jodi Rell said. “We are pleased to help Middletown move forward with this installation project.
The city of Middletown has entered into a contract with UTC Power for installation of the 200 kilowatt fuel cell. Fuel cells generate clean power and are more than twice as efficient as the electrical grid when the fuel cell’s exhaust heat is put to work.
Middletown Director of Facilities Kendall Jackson said that the fuel cell is expected to generate about 20 percent of the school’s total electrical load at a cost less than buying the electricity off the power grid.
The total cost of the project is about $1.6 million. The city has already garnered more than $1 million in grants to help pay for it.