COLFAX – The Port of Whitman County Commission approved the execution of a new lease agreement with green energy company Plug Power for a parcel at the Port of Whitman Business Air Center (POWBAC) for two consecutive five-year terms.

Plug Power is a New York-based company that specializes in engineering hydrogen fuel infrastructure for industrial and transportation uses. The company, founded in 1997, is an industry leader in building the end-to-end green hydrogen ecosystem and has research and development facilities throughout the nation, according to its website.

The newly leased 1.65-acre parcel at POWBAC will expand Plug Power’s hydrogen research facility in Colfax. The Port executed a lease with Plug Power in 2021 for an airport hangar, which the company renovated.  

Patrick Adam, manager of research and development at the Plug Power Colfax location, said the company intends to build an outdoor research facility on the parcel. The planned facility is designed to safely handle both gaseous and liquid hydrogen to enable researchers to better understand technologies involved in the adoption of hydrogen as a transportation fuel.  

One of the research priorities outlined by Adam is to quantify the performance and limitations of novel hydrogen storage and transfer equipment through a developed understanding of where boil-off losses occur. The research is planned to complement engineering and prototype research being completed in the company’s POWBAC hangar.

“The land that Plug [Power] has identified at POWBAC is ideally situated to undertake this type of research which will ultimately translate into cost savings for Plug and its customers,” Adam said.

The POWBAC parcel will also offer Plug Power the unique ability to potentially explore airport hydrogen applications and operations, including fuel cell powered ground support equipment and on-site storage and dispensing facilities.

“The Port of Whitman County is enthusiastic about the continued collaboration with Plug Power as it expands its presence in Whitman County,” Port of Whitman County Executive Director Kara  

Riebold said. “We are proud to provide the foundation for job creation at the cutting edge of green energy research.”

The new facility is expected to be completed in 2024 and bolster several engineering jobs. The site and equipment will be designed in accordance with the Compressed Gas Association and National Fire Protection Association standards and will be modeled after the design of similar Plug Power sites, Adam said.  

“We hope the groundwork laid by the Port of Whitman County and Plug Power regarding lease negotiations and amendments will promote the future adoption of POWBAC for other industrial-minded entrepreneurs and companies,” Adam said.

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About the Port of Whitman Business Air Center

POWBAC is a small general aviation airport and industrial park located 3.5 miles southwest of Colfax. The airport serves a variety of aeronautical and agricultural tenants through the provision of land and hangar leases.

About the Port of Whitman County

The Port of Whitman County is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all citizens of Whitman County through industrial real estate development, preservation of multi-modal transportation, facilitation of economic development and provision of on-water recreational opportunities.