R.I.P. hydrogen economy? Obama cuts hydrogen car funding

**Jason** · 05-17-2009, 08:20 AM

In the newly released budget, the U.S. Department of Energy cuts $100 million from the hydrogen fuel cell program in fiscal year 2010 and transforms its name to "fuel cell technologies." Hydrogen, of course, is just the fuel of a fuel cell—a device that recombines hydrogen and oxygen to produce water and electrical current. Still, the name change distances the Obama administration from the "hydrogen economy" goals of their predecessors.

"We asked ourselves, 'Is it likely in the next 10 or 15, 20 years that we will convert to a hydrogen car economy?' The answer, we felt, was 'No,'" said energy secretary Steven Chu in a briefing on the budget for reporters yesterday, citing the need for better fuel cells and a near complete lack of infrastructure.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/bl...hyd-2009-05-08

RedScott · 05-17-2009, 10:44 PM

Yeah, cause if the PC industry wasn't government funded it would have never got off the ground in the 80's and 90's.

Oh wait......

Tumbleweed36 · 05-18-2009, 05:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason

"We asked ourselves, 'Is it likely in the next 10 or 15, 20 years that we will convert to a hydrogen car economy?' The answer, we felt, was 'No,'"

And, to make sure that our prediction comes out correctly in the next few years, we took away the funding.

yustr · 05-18-2009, 06:25 AM

I love it. Actually I don't care one way or another about this particular energy source. What I do care about is the "energy companies" thrusting themselves into the discussion as the flag carrier for it. I heard them saying: "Isn't this new source great? We already own the processing plants. We already own the distribution network. We already own the point-of-sale stations. All we need is help to make the switch to H2 and we're willing to serve yet again."

How'd that work for us in the petroleum economy?

Distributed, diversified, human scale energy should be our goal.

05-17-2009, 08:20 AM	#1 (permalink)
Jason Faugh a ballagh Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Pasco, FL Posts: 8,416 OS: Windows Vista My System Blog Entries: 2	R.I.P. hydrogen economy? Obama cuts hydrogen car funding In the newly released budget, the U.S. Department of Energy cuts $100 million from the hydrogen fuel cell program in fiscal year 2010 and transforms its name to "fuel cell technologies." Hydrogen, of course, is just the fuel of a fuel cell—a device that recombines hydrogen and oxygen to produce water and electrical current. Still, the name change distances the Obama administration from the "hydrogen economy" goals of their predecessors. "We asked ourselves, 'Is it likely in the next 10 or 15, 20 years that we will convert to a hydrogen car economy?' The answer, we felt, was 'No,'" said energy secretary Steven Chu in a briefing on the budget for reporters yesterday, citing the need for better fuel cells and a near complete lack of infrastructure. http://www.scientificamerican.com/bl...hyd-2009-05-08 __________________ Posting Tips \| Advice for New People \| Common Fixes \| Agus na damnaithe fágtha gan focal Glaoigh ormsa i measc na naomh

05-17-2009, 10:44 PM	#2 (permalink)
RedScott Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 496 OS: Windows XP	Re: R.I.P. hydrogen economy? Obama cuts hydrogen car funding Yeah, cause if the PC industry wasn't government funded it would have never got off the ground in the 80's and 90's. Oh wait......

05-18-2009, 06:25 AM	#4 (permalink)
yustr Asst. Manager, The Conversation Pit Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Connecticut shore Posts: 5,983 OS: XP Pro My System	Re: R.I.P. hydrogen economy? Obama cuts hydrogen car funding I love it. Actually I don't care one way or another about this particular energy source. What I do care about is the "energy companies" thrusting themselves into the discussion as the flag carrier for it. I heard them saying: "Isn't this new source great? We already own the processing plants. We already own the distribution network. We already own the point-of-sale stations. All we need is help to make the switch to H2 and we're willing to serve yet again." How'd that work for us in the petroleum economy? Distributed, diversified, human scale energy should be our goal. __________________ If there are lawyers or politicians involved, logic may be a very poor tool for reaching a conclusion.