Editorial: The wave of the future

Thursday, May 26, 2005 | 9:19 a.m.

President Bush has many critics of his $1.7 billion plan to develop non-polluting hydrogen as a major fuel within the next 15 years. The critics, including the National Academy of Sciences, say hydrogen fuel for mass consumption could be a good dream in 2035, but is a pipe dream now.

Yet hydrogen as an automotive fuel has been under research for decades and has proven successful. Bush, for example, visited a retail hydrogen fueling station in Washington on Wednesday and filled up a General Motors Corp. van. "Hydrogen is the wave of the future," he said. On this issue, we agree.

Bush's long-term plan is problematic, though, as he envisions using power from nuclear plants and coal to mass-produce the fuel. We believe hydrogen can and should be mass-produced using safe, non-polluting sources of energy, such as wind and solar power -- sources in abundance right here in Nevada.

General Motors, Ford, Daimler-Chrysler, Toyota and Honda are among the automobile manufacturers that have successfully tested hydrogen-fueled vehicles. Many states, including Florida and New York, have created agencies devoted to attracting hydrogen industries. Many universities, including UNLV, are making progress in devising ways to bring this fuel to the public.

Certainly there should be an interim program to help wean the country from foreign oil, featuring such technology as hybrid cars. But critics who say it's foolish to invest much money now in hydrogen have a lot in common with those who laughed at early personal computers and invested heavily in typewriters.