FuelCellsWorks

Simple, tabletop hydrogen extraction system.
Photo: Peter Holst, stock.xchng

In 2004, the State of Colorado planned to invest both federal and state funds in to small companies working on research and development of hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen powered vehicles (HPV). The state’s idea was to support existing small businesses and to spawn the growth of what was expected to be the future of transportation. The initial idea was to use $2 million in federal grant money combined with another $10 million in private investment funds to create a laboratory that would be a collaboration between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the Gas Technology Institute, and private companies in Colorado.

Although it appears the grand plans of cooperation and collaboration never came to fruition, the NREL is still doing incredible work in the field of renewable energy and the Gas Technology Institute is still doing phenomenal research into gas technology that includes hydrogen for both fuel cells and as a combustible fuel.

What remains to be seen is the effect of Department of Energy Secretary (DOE) Steven Chu’s May 8, 2009 announcement of a major cut in funding for research in to hydrogen powered vehicles and hydrogen fuel cells. This announcement came in spite of an April 17, 2009 announcement that the DOE was planning a $41.9 million dollar investment in hydrogen fuel cell technology.

This reversal on one of the most promising clean technologies is troubling. Funding of $2.4 billion for research into gasoline powered hybrids and plug-in hybrids was announced in March of 2009. Research in to hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen combustion technology was funded at a minuscule 1.5% of the level for “cleaner” fossil fuel based transportation.

If the research dollars had been historically reversed, with 98.5% of research funds being spent on hydrogen fueled cars, we would already be pulling up to a filling station to buy hydrogen, not gasoline and diesel. When Secretary Chu stated that a hydrogen infrastructure was still 10, 15, or 20 years away, no one could argue. The lack of funding has put the common goal of a truly clean fuel technology just out of reach. By cutting research funds, the Chu and the Obama administration are putting one of the most promising potential source of clean energy even further out, to possibly 20, 30, or even 50 years.

The hopes, dreams, and data that are driving this decision are that plug-in hybrids will help solve the climate change problem sooner than a truly clean technology. On paper, it is beautiful. A person driving a car powered by clean, cheap, abundant electricity will have no emissions as long as the driver doesn’t drive more than 45-50 miles a day. The longer the distance driven, the more fossil fuel is used. In fact, a person driving from Denver to Seattle would burn less gas by driving a VW Jetta TDI, a diesel powered car, than any currently produced hybrid.

The next question on hybrids is this: How is the power being generated? We are still decades from the time when the majority of our power will be solar or wind generated. We are still building numerous coal fired power plants, and will likely have to build more as the demand for electricity increases due to its use in transportation. At present, powering a car with electricity is still an activity that emits greenhouse gases.

So, why cut funding to the one technology that emits only water? DOE funding, as a percentage, was already minimal. If we had funded hydrogen research adequately, we would already have a hydrogen pump next to the diesel pump. Is the reason hydrogen research was underfunded a lack of lobbying by Big Hydrogen? Or maybe because Big Hydrogen couldn’t complete with the established energy industry in campaign contributions?

The reality is that we are decades away from having a primarily hybrid national vehicle fleet that uses electricity generated primarily from clean sources. It is counter-productive to pull funding on one of the most promising, and truly clean, technologies available.

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