‘The defining issue of our time’

“Plastics.”

Remember that classic one-word piece of career advice from the 1967 film “The Graduate”? Well, the likely hot tip for 21st century Ohio does it one word better: “Fuel cells.” To a large extent, the state’s leaders are pinning their hopes for an economic boom on this technology – a notion that House Speaker Jon Husted confirmed in a speech Wednesday at the University of Akron.

“Fuel cells are an important part of a new energy strategy. They are an important part of an economic development startegy for Ohio,” the Kettering Republican told the Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition symposium. “Energy will be the defining issue of our time.” One of the most promising new energy technologies is the fuel cell, which produces electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen, leaving as its clean byproduct – you guessed it – water. The Edison Materials Technology Center lists 79 Ohio companies and institutions involved in fuel-cell component research and development. The state is poised to become a big player in this field.

And for once, it appears that state government has actually helped instead of getting in the way. As Husted pointed out, recent steps include former Gov. Bob Taft’s Third Frontier high-tech initiative, business tax-code reform, funding for math and science education, Gov. Ted Strickland’s new jobs initiative and his recently passed energy/utility bill. Husted deserves credit for improving that last item, particularly on alternative energy requirements.