Hydrogen failed as car fuel. Now California's big dollar bet on it for green energy is fading, too
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Set us as preferred Hydrogen, viewed by its advocates as a clean fuel and a solution to climate change, is having a “non moment,” but don’t ask anyone in the industry to say that on the record.Years of market turmoil, federal funding cuts, canceled projects and industry pullback have made it clear: California’s grand vision for fleets of vehicles and heavy industry running on clean hydrogen fuel has stalled.Yet at a recent gathering in Sacramento, those in the nascent industry continued to tout the potential of a fuel they hope will turn around and thrive.
Practically no one wanted to be quoted on the bleak outlook.“It’s tough,” said Andrew Carman, a hydrogen dealmaker at the conference who said there just aren’t enough buyers to justify much new fuel production.
Hydrogen is an alternative to gasoline, diesel fuel and natural gas that’s part of California’s climate strategy because it doesn’t produce greenhouse gas emissions when used.It can be made cleanly by cleaving the hydrogen out of water using clean electricity.
But that’s not what usually happens.Some 95% of hydrogen used today is made from natural gas.
That’s because freeing hydrogen from its bond with oxygen in water requires an extraordinary amount of energy — and expensive equipment — making it cost prohibitive.Former Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger drove a Hummer powered by hydrogen, putting the fuel on the state’s map in 2004 with his vision of a 200-station “hydrogen highway.” But as electric cars dropped in price and gained popularity, the highway has more or less been left for dead.“There was a race between batteries and hydrogen, and batteries won,” said Bill Magavern, policy director at the Coalition for Clean Air.There are some 14,000 hydrogen cars registered in California, and that number declined for the first time ...