|
Iceland can do that because they're already operating independent of fossil fuels for their power grid. Over here, it's much more complicated.
The problem stems from the fact that hydrogen is inefficient. The fuel itself is powerful and clean burning, but extracting it via electrolysis consumes more energy than we gain from it. That ends up being a net loss and the energy has to come from somewhere. In North America that somewhere ends up being primarily the oil and coal fueled stations that are still providing a large portion of our power demand. Taken from that perspective, hydrogen as a fuel is just as likely to cause more pollution, not less. And we still don't solve the shortage problem.
Not to mention that we'd have a much harder time installing the necessary infrastructure. It's not just obtaining the hydrogen, it's distributing it that's a hurdle as well. That could cost billions of dollars to implement, further reducing the economic gain of hydrogen.
And that's not even getting into the safety and storage issues. I have no idea what Iceland is doing on that front.
__________________
I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said
- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame
|