Are Hydrogen Cars Good For America ?

November 2007

The Reason Foundation has released a report that explores the use of

hydrogen as a component of the nationwide effort to develop cleaner,

greener, and more sustainable sources of energy.

PDF: 38 pages: www.reason.org/ps363.pdf

[Summary]

By William J. Korchinski

Project Director: Adrian T. Moore

Hydrogen cars have captured the imagination of politicians and the

public alike. Governor

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Senator John Kerry, and Energy Secretary Samuel

Bodman have all hailed hydrogen as an important component of the

nationwide effort to develop cleaner, greener, and more sustainable

sources of energy. In addition to hydrogen’s perceived efficiency and

environmental friendliness, policymakers also have welcomed hydrogen as

a source of energy that could wean the country off its dependence on oil

and foreign sources of energy.

Hydrogen cars have been the most obvious symbol of efforts to move the

country into a hydrogen-powered future. Policymakers envision a world in

which the only emission from a car’s tailpipe is water, the byproduct of

hydrogen fuel cells.

As this policy report explains, however, hydrogen’s promise as a truly

clean and efficient alternative to oil is still only a promise. At

present, hydrogen is not an efficient or environmentally friendly

alternative to the gasoline that powers nearly all automobiles. Hydrogen

fuel cells in the cars themselves produce virtually no pollution, aside

from water. However, depending on the technology used, the manufacture

of hydrogen fuel cells produces as much or more net pollution than the

manufacture and use of gasoline.

Moreover, hydrogen would not significantly reduce the country’s

dependence on foreign sources of energy. The hydrogen manufacturing

process requires substantial quantities of natural gas.

Since production at known natural gas reserves in the United States and

Canada has leveled off, the

United States would need to look elsewhere for sources of natural gas to

create the hydrogen for its hydrogen-powered future. Russia and

countries in the Middle East are, as with oil, the largest producers of

natural gas.

Policymakers’ desire to reduce pollution is admirable, but hydrogen may

not yet be the answer.

Instead, other technologies – including clean coal processes and nuclear

power – show promise.