Plug Power Inc. is an American company engaged in the development of hydrogen fuel cell and electrolyzer systems that replace conventional batteries in equipment and vehicles powered by electricity. The company is headquartered in Slingerlands, New York, and has facilities in Spokane, Washington, and Rochester, New York.
Plug Power's GenDrive system integrates fuel cells manufactured by both Plug Power and Ballard Power Systems and incorporates a hydrogen storage system that allows the system to "recharge" in a matter of minutes as opposed to several hours for lead-acid batteries. It allows hydrogen-powered forklifts to run at a constant steady power. GenDrive units occupy the same space designed for conventional batteries.
History
Plug Power was founded in 1997 as a joint venture between DTE Energy and Mechanical Technology Inc. The company went public in October 1999.
The company was subject to a shareholder class action complaint for securities fraud following the IPO for allegedly misleading statements about their fuel cell technology capabilities and on its material sales and distribution relationship with General Electric. By order dated October 30, 2000, the Eastern District of New York court consolidated the complaints into one action, entitled Plug Power Inc. Securities Litigation, CV-00-5553 (ERK) (RML).[2]