LPEA board President Davin Montoya said the biggest concern with fuel cells has been their durability. A consumer is expected to use about twice as much propane or natural gas with a fuel cell, or from about 1,300 gallons to about 2,600 gallons a year, but LPEA says it has no interest in entering the gas-delivery market. I found about 15 propane suppliers in the yellow pages. I don t want to go in there and compete with those people. The cost of natural gas has also been increasing, but LPEA hopes the savings from not building a line will offset the increase.
Fuel cells are also more efficient.
While LPEA transmits electricity over power lines at up to 96 percent efficiency, burning coal to produce electricity is only about 35 percent efficient. Fuel cells are about 50 percent efficient at using a fuel s energy potential. Patton said if the deal goes through, the implications of using fuel cells are far-reaching. They say, Well, they can t get electricity and water on a lot, so we don t have to worry about it. That won t be the case in the future anywhere in the country in terms of electricity.