Horace Heffner writes: > It seems to me > clear that we do not have to fully convert to a hydrogen economy to make > dramatic reductions in the cost of energy . . .
Certainly not. In fact, if things like HTSC power transmission and better batteries for cars and power smoothing become available, we may not need hydrogen at all. Hydrogen solves three problems: power transmission, vehicle power, and power smoothing (generating electricity at the moment you need it, not when the wind happens to be blowing). > 4. Improved battery technology used in transportation, [and to smooth power] Wind or solar power cannot expand beyond 15% of the total without something like this. > 9. Improved economics of conventional wind mills, You mean wind turbines, right? Not actual mills. Let's not use the obsolete terminology, except to refer to that actual use of mechanical power. That might be a good idea for some applications, such as water pumps. Hmmm . . . I wonder if you could make a combined wind-hydroelectric plant? Pump water uphill, generate power going down. It would be a good way to smooth demand. But it would probably be grossly inefficient. > . . . > 16. Increased conservation as a result of public awareness and energy cost, > 17. Possibly, at long last, some money for novel energy research. Add somewhere: 18. Combined heat-and-power electricity (co-generation). 19. Hybrid automobiles, trucks and railroad trains. (Railroads are already somewhat hybrid.) - Jed
