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StumbleSun editorial:
Keep moving on hydrogen
Senate took forward-looking approach in boosting the budget for research into fuel cells
Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009 | 2:07 a.m.
Hybrid and all-electric vehicles represent the most fuel-efficient and clean automotive technology for today and for the immediate future. But there is a future beyond that, one that should not be slighted in the nation’s energy policy.
The Obama administration is commendably pushing hybrids and plug-in electric vehicles as part of its overall policy to cut climate-changing emissions, clean the air and reduce America’s dependence on oil from the Middle East.
In its 2010 energy budget, however, the administration is proposing only $68 million, down from $169 million this year, for research into development of a mass-market car powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. According to the Associated Press, the administration is wary of investing too much money in automotive technology that may not materialize for decades.
The Senate last week took a different view. It included $190 million in the energy budget for hydrogen research. We support the Senate’s position, which is that hydrogen power represents the potential for fulfilling all of the national automotive policy goals. The Senate also believes that U.S. automakers should not be left behind as automakers in Europe and Asia go full-bore toward hydrogen.
Hydrogen-fueled cars and trucks are on the market but are not yet affordable and do not yet have the desired range. Automotive engineers believe both problems can be solved, provided that research money is not slashed.
The only emission from a car powered by a hydrogen fuel cell is a little harmless steam. Unlike oil, hydrogen is not a finite resource that needs to be imported — it is the most abundant element in the universe.
Another advantage of hydrogen research is the associated knowledge that springs from it. The lighter car bodies that have been developed for hydrogen cars, for example, could have uses in the airline and other industries. Fuel cells themselves, once perfected, would have many wider uses — powering homes, for example.
Research into hydrogen should pay big dividends, as it could become the dominant fuel of the future.
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While it may not be economically viable, yet, hyrdogen also has potential as a mass energy source if utilized in conjunction with less reliable clean sources such as wind and solar. Using wind and solar to generate the power needed to convert water to hydrogen, the hydrogen could then be stored and used to power commercial generators (in lieu of oil or coal). The storage would have to be large enough to take into account some cloudy or still days, and there'd have to be sufficient solar and wind generating capacity to power the grid as well as build up the hydrogen supply, but once constructed it would require little input other than water (and theoretically it could also support a desalination function, if the resulting water vapor was condensed and collected). Probably not viable in NV because of the water requirement, but might work in SoCal.
The government needs to stop trying to pick winners. First it subsidized hydrogen, then it got big into ethenol and now electric cars. The government is wasting billions, stalling progress, and distorting competion.
You know Patrick is right. Now if we could just go back and undo building the atomic bomb... Tongue firmly in cheek.
So now you're advocating the government invest in time machines? Will you ever stop wanting to waste other people's money?
No more than private enterprise wastes it...
The difference being when private enterprise wastes money they go out of business. When government wastes money they "broaden the tax base".
If I did have a time machine, I would stop the making of enthnol with corn and use sugar cane instead. So Hawaii would have the cheapest gas in the entire would and we wouldn't have to pay $5 for a 12pack of pepsi!
ethanol is a retarded fuel. The corn lobby is one of the most powerful in the country and the congressional whores just lap it up.
You should not convert food into fuel. Unless of course you are an animal or human who consumes it.
Ethanol is a negative fuel; meaning if you strip the government taxes and subsidies from it the ethanol manufacturers would go under because it cost so much to make.
According to the Associated Press, the administration is wary of investing too much money in automotive technology that may not materialize for decades.
Think about where we would be today if back in the 70's with a oil crisis we had set a course to independence, or in the 80s, or 90s.
You can never be too early with leapfrog green technology.
Green Hydrogen fuel cells are the future for homes and cars and being be shortsighted with this technogy is as mistake that our generation must not make.
We are talking a few million not billion or trillions Get on with hydrogen now.