What is the Hydrogen Economy?
Present day fuel energy standards are based on oil and other fossil fuels. These fuels have powered the world economies since the industrial revolution but at the cost of depleted world resources and polluted air and water sources. The hydrogen economy offers a limitless source of energy that can be produced without damage to the earth s resources. • What will it take to achieve a switchover to a hydrogen based economy? To fully achieve a switchover to a hydrogen based economy, a massive effort will be required to create the distribution system for hydrogen; something on the order of the national effort to put a man on the moon or to build the interstate highway system. A coordinated private and public sector program needs to be undertaken at the federal level, probably under the Department of Energy s guidance, to utilize the full power of the federal government to help create and support standards for fueling equipment and hydrogen creation. • How does a fuel cell work? A fuel cell i
The hydrogen economy is a world fundamentally different than the world we know now. Picture it . . . Hydrogen is available to everyone, everywhere–from the corner fueling station to the large industrial facility on the outskirts of town. The United States is not so dependent on a single source of fuel. Hydrogen is produced, cleanly and cost-effectively, from a variety of sources including renewables, such as biomass and water, as well as nuclear energy and fossil fuels, using advanced technologies to ensure that any carbon released in the process does not escape into the atmosphere. Hydrogen is delivered and stored routinely and safely. Hydrogen-powered fuel cells and engines are as common as the gasoline and diesel engines of the late 20th century–they power our cars, trucks, buses, and other vehicles, as well as our homes, offices, and factories. U.S. companies that for decades invested in hydrogen technologies now export commercial products and services around the world. And devel
