There's little doubt that Senator Chuck Schumer's worked out an effective way to influence business and industry: his trademark press conference-and-publicity hammering and threats of legislative action.

But now he's taking on the White House using the same tactics - at least the publicity aspect - and it will be interesting to see how that dynamic plays out. It's all over hydrogen fuel cell research and funding.

White House Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in May that he is cutting hydrogen R&D funding out of his department's proposed budget. The technology is too far off in terms of viability, he said, and other solutions hold more promise.

Earlier this month, Senators Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand issued a joint press release urging the Senate Appropriations Committee to restore funding for hydrogen fuel cell research and development.

Yesterday, Schumer publicly released an invitation to Chu to visit and tour General Motors' Honeoye Falls fuel cell lab. Schumer says the lab could serve as a model for an energy innovation hub - the Department of Energy plans to establish eight of them; each gets five years of federal funding, says Schumer's release. In turn, it could also help a struggling GM stay at the forefront of fuel cell development and provide a boost to other New York companies involved in the area.

Whether Chu accepts the invitation remains to be seen. If he does, that could be an indication that he's willing to entertain federal funding for hydrogen fuel cell research.