Tokyo Plans Big Investment in Hydrogen for Olympic Games

Tokyo is preparing to invest 45 billion yen ($382 million) to install hydrogen fueling stations and subsidize fuel-cell vehicles ahead of the Olympics in 2020.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been promoting hydrogen power to help lower Japan's heavy reliance on nuclear power plants. He declares that Japan will be the first in the world to establish a "hydrogen society."

Fuel-cell-powered cars could generate enough electricity to sustain a typical Japanese home if a disaster knocks out conventional electrical power. Bloomberg News says Tokyo hopes to have 80 hydrogen fueling stations along with 100,000 cars and 100 buses powered by fuel cells in place by 2025.

To help bolster demand, Tokyo will grant buyers of fuel-cell vehicles subsidies worth 1 million yen ($8,500) in addition to 2 million yen provided by the Japanese government.