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Tucked off to the side of the main entrance of the new Eden Prairie library is a small mechanical unit that might well go unnoticed.
But it represents a demonstration site for what some believe will be the power source of the future.
Inside the neat metal box that measures roughly 3 by 7 feet and stands a little over 6 feet tall is a fuel cell powered by hydrogen extracted from natural gas - the first of its kind to be installed at a public building in Minnesota.
The fuel cell converts natural gas into hydrogen with just a small amount of carbon dioxide and otherwise harmless byproducts - water, oxygen and heat. The hydrogen in turn is used in combination with oxygen in the air to produce electricity. Unlike batteries, fuel cells do not have to be recharged; they just need a steady supply of hydrogen.
The Eden Prairie setup is capable of producing five kilowatts of electricity - enough to power a typical home.
It's not cheap. The fuel cell itself, manufactured by PlugPower of Latham, N.Y., cost $45,000....