Using a hydrogen fuel cell, a generator can produce clean, emission-free electricity from hydrogen gas. At its most simple, a fuel cell is two areas of gas, separated by a membrane that only lets one type of particle move from one side to the other. Inside the fuel cell itself, a catalyst at the anode causes hydrogen gas to split into positively-charged protons and negatively-charged electrons. A membrane (the Proton Exchange Membrane) then allows the protons to flow through to the cathode, while forcing the electrons to travel along an external circuit to reach the same destination. Forcing the electrons to travel like this creates an electrical current. As the electrons and the protons reunite, they combine with oxygen to form water, which simply flows out of the generator to become the only by-product.

As this process does not rely on combustion, hydrogen fuel cell generators can run more efficiently than internal combustion engine generators, and they are practically silent, which makes them a great choice for locations where noise-level restriction is a requirement.