Burning fossil fuels is becoming as antiquated as fossils. The exhaust makes us ill, and the emissions are killing the ozone layer. So right now, various technologies are being explored for replacing fossil fuels. One technology that holds much promise involves the use of high tech batteries, called "fuel cells."

Fuel cells produce electricity by converting the chemical energy of fuel directly into power through controlled chemical reactions. Since they do this without combustion and without moving parts, they are both efficient and do not hurt the environment. They are very clean, very efficient, and very reliable.

Until now, the ability to produce cells that were small and light enough so that they could be truly functional was limited. But recently there have been tremendous improvements.

Home developers, and auto producers, and other industries, are looking at fuel cells for the next generation of energy production. Fuel cells are becoming economically competitive with other forms of conventional power.

This past June, a fuel cell "Expo" was held in Washington and attended by many in Congress and other Washington types. It was held at the Canon House office building in Capitol Hill and was one of the largest displays of fuel cell technology in the country.

At the Expo, the U.S. Energy Secretary proclaimed that the Administration is committed to the development of fuel cells. The government has asked for $120 million dollars to support partnerships and research in this area.

Fuel cell vehicles from Ford and Hyundai were among the new offerings displayed at the Expo. In addition, a bus developed by Georgetown University was also displayed.

The EPA is looking at combining fuel cell energy with other kinds of energy to provide even more efficient energy sources. According to the EPA, these hybrids may realize an extra 25 percent increase in operational efficiency.

This hybrid is already being analyzed by the National Fuel Cell Research Center at the University of California in Irvine. Currently, the University is determining current optimal operating conditions, as well as a range of safe operating conditions and modeling which will determine the direction of future research.

One developer is offering fuel cell energy sources to home purchasers. While this is still unusual, we should expect to see more and more of this in the future since traditional energy costs from public suppliers are on the rise (look at what happened in California) . Consumers are increasingly interested in energy production sources that do not rely on traditional utilities.

The information provided in this column is written by Stuart Lieberman,a practicing environmental attorney, and is for general information purposes only. It is not legal advice and should not be used in place of legal advice.

Stuart Lieberman, Esq., and IRED.Com, Inc., will not accept any responsibilty for any reliance on the information in this column or any damages whatsoever resulting from reading this column.