A Cell in Every Home?

Consumers pay relatively little for electricity in money, but dearly in pollution: generating plants, burning more and more coal and oil to meet the demand, send potentially harmful effluents into the air despite serious industry efforts at emission control. Last week a substitute for conventionally produced electricity was put on display. It would be pollution-free--but, in its present stage of development, cost the user at least twice as much.

The device, a natural gas fuel cell the size of a small home furnace, was demonstrated by the Connecticut Natural Gas Corp. in Talcott Village, a planned community near Hartford, Conn. Called

Powercel II, the test unit was developed by Pratt & Whitney Aircraft. The cell would be installed in the consumer's home or factory and connected to a natural gas pipeline. Gas and air mix together in the cell, then react with a catalyst to produce electricity.

Cutting Costs. The principle of the fuel cell is hardly new; it has been known since 1839. Pratt & Whitney also designed the fuel cells used in Apollo flights. But the specific and well-financed proposal to employ them en masse is new. For environmentalists, Powercel would deliver power with a plus: the only waste products of its chemical reaction are harmless water vapor, carbon dioxide, and a little heat. Its on-site use would eliminate unsightly power lines as well as the complex network of power plants, substations and generators.

Along with its environmental advantages, however, Powercel II faces major commercial disadvantages. The high cost of electricity produced by the prototype is the result of expensive, intricate equipment. Another problem is the shortage of natural gas. Powercel's backers say the cost will become competitive with large-scale use. The natural gas supply, they contend, can be increased if regulatory agencies end a price freeze that discourages exploitation. Some big utilities do not share that optimism. Says a spokesman for New York's giant Consolidated Edison Co.: "The fuel cell is not something that's germane because it's far down the road."

Men from TARGET. It appears certain that Powercel II will at least get a fair test. It has the backing of Pratt & Whitney and 32 U.S. gas and gas-electric companies known collectively as TARGET (Team to Advance Research for Gas Energy Transformation, Inc.). Since 1967, TARGET has put $20 million into fuel-cell research and development; it will spend another $20 to $25 million in the next three years to field test Powercel in 19 states and the District of Columbia. If all goes well, says C.N.G. President Robert H. Willis, the fuel cell could be marketed by 1975.

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