A Chevron hydrogen fueling station in California. © Used with permission from Chevron Corp.

Progress Energy Florida, the State of Florida, Ford Motor Company and Chevron Corporation broke ground on Florida's first hydrogen energy fueling station in 2005.

View the groundbreaking event. with comments from Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Dale Oliver, vice president of Progress Energy Florida's South Central Region.

The station is located on property owned by Progress Energy near the Orlando International Airport. The station is intended to fuel Ford V-10, E-450 hydrogen-powered shuttle buses transporting visitors. The State of Florida owns eight of the 12-passenger vehicles. With a range of up to 150 miles and near-zero emissions, including carbon dioxide, the Ford hydrogen shuttle bus uses an internal combustion engine designed to run on hydrogen fuel instead of gasoline.

The station will provide a test platform for showcasing the safe and cost-effective production, storage and dispensing of hydrogen as a transportation fuel. Worldwide, energy companies, automakers and petroleum companies are investing more than $2 billion annually to develop the hydrogen industry and diversify with new, sustainable sources of energy.