Tomorrow's Energy ─ Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and the Prospects for a Cleaner Planet

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. An invisible, tasteless,colorless gas, it can be converted to nonpolluting, zero-emission, renewable energy. When burned inan internal combustion engine, hydrogen produces mostly harmless water vapor. It performs evenbetter in fuel cells, which can be 2.5 times as efficient as internal-combustion engines.Zero-emission hydrogen does not contribute to CO2-caused global warming. Abundant and renewable, itis unlikely to be subject to geopolitical pressures or scarcity concerns. In this new edition of hispioneering book Tomorrow's Energy, Peter Hoffmann makes the case for hydrogen asthe cornerstone of a new energy economy. Hoffmann covers the major aspects of hydrogen production,storage, transportation, fuel use, and safety. He explains that hydrogen is not an energy source buta carrier, like electricity, and introduces the concept of "hydricity," the essentialinterchangeability of electricity and hydrogen. He brings the hydrogen story up to date, reportingon the latest developments, including new hydrogen and fuel-cell cars from GM, Daimler, BMW, Honda,and Toyota. He describes recent political controversies, including Obama administration EnergySecretary (and Nobel laureate in Physics) Steven Chu's inexplicable dismissal of hydrogen--whichputs him at odds with major automakers, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and others. Our currentenergy system is a complex infrastructure, and phasing in hydrogen will take effort and money. Butif we consider the real costs of fossil fuels--pollution and its effects, international tensionsover gas and oil supplies, and climate change--we would be wise to promote itsdevelopment.

Peter Hoffmann is editor and publisher of The Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Letter and author of The Forever Fuel: The Story of Hydrogen. His articles on hydrogen energy have appeared in such publications as Business Week, the Washington Post, and the Financial Times.