A consumer guide to the benefits and obstacles of transitioning to the hydrogen fuel cell

Abstract

Hydrogen Fuel Cells are a much talked about technology often represented as promising virtually unlimited amounts of non-polluting power by chemically reacting hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, with oxygen without combustion. Our analysis indicates that fuel cells are indeed a promising technology still under development. Our analysis concludes that there are considerable problems to overcome before a widespread transition to hydrogen fuel cells occurs, including cost, infrastructure, performance and most importantly generation of the hydrogen fuel itself. The infrastructure and hydrogen generation hurdles are extremely large, enough to require significant government intervention before renewable hydrogen resources displace fossil fuels. We believe the transition to renewable hydrogen fuel sources, and fuel cells are inevitable given the diminishing, non-renewable fossil fuel reserves. We further believe that we are rapidly approaching the date required to make fundamental energy policy changes to enable a hydrogen economy. Disappointingly, there is little evidence that U.S. government is prepared to make this decision in a timely manner.