To protect its fuel franchise, the energy industry has moved swiftly in recent years to shape government policy toward hydrogen. (NOTICE who is shaping our policy TOWARDS hydrogen? Oil and Gas.)In 1999, oil companies and automakers began attending the meetings of an obscure group called the National Hydrogen Association. Founded in 1989 by scientists from government labs and universities, the association was a haven for many of the small companies — fuel-cell designers, electrolyzer makers — that were dabbling in hydrogen power. The group promoted the use of hydrogen but was careful not to take any position on who would make the fuel or how.

All that changed once the energy industry got involved. “All of a sudden Shell joined our board, and then the interest grew very quickly,” says Karen Miller, the association's vice president. “Our chair last year was from BP; this year our chair is from ChevronTexaco.” The companies quickly began to use the association as a platform to lobby for more federal funding for research, and to push the government to emphasize fossil fuels in the national energy plan for hydrogen. Along with the big automakers, energy companies also formed a consortium called the International Hydrogen Infrastructure Group to monitor federal officials charged with developing fuel cells. “Basically,” says Neil Rossmeissl, a hydrogen standards expert at the Department of Energy, “what they do is look over our shoulder at doe to make sure we are doing what they think is the right thing.”

So Hydrogen is our future? I think not. You have to produce hydrogen somewhere and you have to fund the infrastructure to get hydrogen to gasoline stations. Hydrogen as you can see is going to be produced by the oil and gasoline industry. You just cant open a jar and collect hydrogens for your car.

Might want to rethink the saviour that is Hydrogen. Nothing is free. Even Hydrogen needs hydrogen to work. Where do you get Hydrogen. You produce it. Whose got the monopoly on producing Hydrogen? You got it. Oil and gas.

Hydrogen is not an energy source. It is a means of storage. You have to use a large amount of energy to actually make the hydrogen. Actually, nuclear power goes well with hydrogen because a nuclear power plant can supply electricity to the grind during peak load hours and then make hydrogen in the middle of the night when the load is at its lowest.

Nuclear works better than solar or wind to make hydrogen since they only generate electricity during peak load hours.

I'd be most convinced if Pickens put about a billion into the effort (he can afford it), and if, additionally, he doesn't ask for a government subsidy (which, as in ethanol, would be evidence than wind is not cost-effective relative to the alternatives.)

Hydrogen cars are already up and running. Hydrogen can be gotten anywhere.

Here's to moving into the clean renewable and safe 21st Century and a Big Wave goodbye to grungy, sooty, dangerous 20th Century energy dinosaurs..

There is no alternative energy miracle and no legitimate basis for agitation or anguish. Simply examine what options we have at hand. Pickens recognizes that the Great Plains in particular offers substantial “wind resources” and calls this nation “the Saudi Arabia of wind.” Those who are interested to learn more about where wind energy may make sense, try looking here.

http://rredc.nrel.gov/wind/pubs/atlas/maps.html