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Science Friday > Archives > 2003 > February > February 21, 2003:
Hour One: Hydrogen Economy

In a recent speech on energy independence, President Bush pointed to hydrogen as a future fuel, saying that if the technologies were developed to their full potential, hydrogen fuels would have the capability of replacing over 11 million barrels of oil per day by the year 2040. However, he also pointed out obstacles that must be overcome before a true hydrogen-based economy could come into being.

"We must make hydrogen more plentiful and produce it in the most efficient, cost-effective way. That is one of our challenges. We must lower the cost of fuel cells so that the automobile can compete -- the cost of the automobile is cost-effective. We must increase the capacity of hydrogen storage systems and put in place the infrastructure to get hydrogen to the consumers," said the President.

In this hour, we'll be talking about those challenges, and about some of the progress that's being made to address them. Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255, and share your opinions online in our Listeners' Lounge (registration required)  

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Guests:
Peter Hoffmann
Editor, The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Letter
Author, "Tomorrow's Energy: Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and the Prospects for a Cleaner Planet"
Albany, New York

Susan Hock
Director, Electric and Hydrogen Technologies and Systems Center
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Golden, Colorado

Alan Lloyd
Chairman
California Fuel Cell Partnership
Sacramento, California

Congressman Edward Markey (D, MA, 7th District)
Member, House Energy and Commerce Committee
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC

Books/Articles Discussed:

"Tomorrow's Energy: Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and the Prospects for a Cleaner Planet," by Peter Hoffmann. MIT Press, 2001.

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Related Links:
Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Letter
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Home Page
Welcome to CaFCP.org
American Hydrogen Association
The Electric Power Research Institute
The Department of Energy
Howstuffworks "How Fuel Cells Work"
GM Hy-Wire Drive-By-Wire Hybrid Fuel Cell Vehicle
TIME.com: Best Inventions 2002 - Hy-wire Car
Fuel Cells - Green Power
Department of Energy: Fossil Energy - Advanced Fuel Cell Power Systems


This segment produced by Erica Illton

 


 

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