Firm goes off the grid with fuel cells

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CARLSBAD, Calif., July 18 (UPI) -- A biotechnology firm in California said it's taking itself "off the grid" with a fuel cell system to self-generate electricity for its company headquarters.

Life Technologies Corp. in Carlsbad, near San Diego, said the system will fit within 1,500 square feet and generate one megawatt of electricity, among the highest output in San Diego County and equivalent to powering more than 1,000 homes.

Moving to the fuel-cell technology puts Life Technologies in the company of firms including The Coca-Cola Co., eBay, FedEx, Google, Apple and Walmart, a company release said Wednesday.

"Moving 'off the grid' using innovative sources of alternative energy helps reduce our carbon footprint and continues to demonstrate our commitment to ongoing sustainability initiatives," Cristina Amorim, the company's chief sustainability officer, said.

The solid oxide fuel cell technology by Bloom Energy of Sunnyvale, Calif, generates clean, efficient power on site from virtually any fuel source, the Life Technologies release said.