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Why Hydrogen?The President’s Hydrogen Initiative is committed towards research, development, and demonstration of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies for our national energy security, environmental commitment, and economic stability. To learn more about these, click on the following links: EnvironmentAir quality is a significant national concern. It has been estimated that about 50% of Americans live in areas levels of one or more air pollutants are high enough to affect public health and/or the environment.[7]
To fully realize the environmental benefits of hydrogen, the full fuel cycle, from energy source to hydrogen production to end-use (also called “well-to-wheels”), must be considered. Producing hydrogen from renewable and nuclear sources, as well as from fossil fuel-based systems with carbon sequestration, yields near-zero greenhouse gas and criteria emissions. When used in a fuel cell to generate electricity that can power transportation, stationary, or portable applications, the only byproducts are pure water and potentially useful heat. The transport of people, goods, and services is among the fastest growing sources of CO2 emissions worldwide. The transportation sector accounts for about one-third of U.S. CO2 emissions. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles could help significantly to reduce CO2 emissions, especially if the hydrogen is produced from renewable sources, nuclear energy, or fossil fuels in conjunction with carbon capture and storage. Mainstream use of hydrogen as an energy carrier could also help expand the commercial feasibility of renewable energy sources by capturing the full amount of solar- or wind-generated power even when electric demand is low. |
Zero-emissions vehicles can help change that – the only output from the tailpipe of Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is water vapor, not carbon dioxide (CO2) or other air pollutants. This is especially important in urban areas, where poor air quality is often attributed to automobiles.Back to Top |
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