Austin is playing host to a nationwide competition and the prize is the title of "Clean Energy Capital of the U.S."

The group Solar Austin pitched the idea of the contest to the U.S. Department of Energy. The group received a $45,000 grant to organize and host the contest.

"Renewables have become a real attractive source for any community, any city," Solar Austin Co-Director Jane Pulaski said.

Pulaski is convinced renewables have become so attractive, cities across the nation would be willing to compete to see which can move away from fossil fuels first.

"Clean Energy Capital of the U.S., I mean, who wouldn't want that title?" Pulaski added the title would attract new businesses, residents and positive publicity for the community that earned it.

In August Solar Austin received the grant to organize, market and host the contest in its first year. On Wednesday, the group officially launched the contest with an evening fundraiser.

The Energy Freedom Challenge is a race to see which city in the U.S. can be the first to get 50 percent of its energy from renewable sources like wind, solar, geo-thermal, methane and biomass power by the year 2025.

The contest will be run in Austin for the next 20 years.

"Austin already has a history of being a leader when it comes to alternative sources of energy," Congressman Lamar Smith, R-Austin, said.

Smith sits on the House Science Committee and said rising energy prices have raised the nation's consciousness about renewable energy sources.

Pulaski believes that makes it the perfect time to launch the clean energy contest.

"Everyone is real aware of how expensive gas is, how expensive fuel is," Pulaski said.

Right now, Austin Energy GreenChoice power sources are about 95 percent wind and five percent landfill methane. Austin can expect plenty of competition from other cities for the clean energy title, Pulaski said.

"Places like Portland, Seattle, Phoenix, Chicago, New York, New Jersey," Pulaski said.

The Union of Concerned Scientists will be in charge of establishing the rules, metrics and qualifications for the contest.

Solar Austin expects to have cities signed up to compete by early next year. Austin will be both the host and a competitor in the first year.

Austin's GreenChoice program already sells more renewable energy to customers than any other program in the country. It allows Austin Energy customers to choose to have their power come from wind or solar sources. The program is so popular Austin energy had to place new subscribers on a waiting list.

One of the city's wind farms is expanding this winter. Austin Energy hopes to open up the GreenChoice wait list once the expansion is finished in February.

	New fuel cell
What looks like a small sheet of plastic could change the way we use cell phones, computers, even cars. Scientists at The University of Texas’s School of Mechanical Engineering department unveiled a new kind of fuel cell Tuesday. Fuel cells are kind of like batteries except they're powered by hydrogen or natural gas. These fuel cells use a new kind of metal instead of the expensive platinum usually used. The new technology will make fuel cells more commercially appealing. "These fuel cells that we are developing at UT are going to be less expensive, one-fifth the cost of current fuel cells. They're going to be longer-lasting, they're going to be able to power everything from cell phones to laptops to automobiles," U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith said. UT engineers say it will take two to three years before the new fuel cells can enter the commercial market. They haven't finished testing the fuel cells' durability. The Los Alamos National Lab is already testing the new product.