Hydrogen: A Common Denominator

"Blue Flame" by John McKee, Creative Commons license

There is no silver bullet to replace oil: it's going to take a variety of new energy sources. This creates a problem you may not have considered: if people are obtaining energy from many different sources, how can we carry energy where it's needed?

In the past, electricity was the answer to distribution. But the problems with electricity will worsen in a heterogeneous energy economy:

  • As much as 50% of electricity is lost over long-distance transmission.
  • Storing electricity is difficult, requiring heavy, caustic battery chemicals. Common lead-acid batteries can lose over 25% of the energy stored.
  • Electric motors are extremely heavy for their weight.
  • Today's power grids face serious challenges and can no longer scale cheaply. Network complexity is the limiting factor.

Continue to 'Why Hydrogen Combustion?