U.S. Senate Reinstates Funding for Hydrogen Car Research
In an unexpected U-turn, the U.S. Senate has agreed to continue to back research for the next generation of hydrogen cars - funding that the Obama administration had earlier proposed to cut.
The move came last Thursday as Senate members voted to commit $187 million to hydrogen research, almost as much as was promised before the indecision.
- » See also: Copenhagen Opens First Hydrogen Fueling Station, Unveils Fleet of Fuel Cell Cars
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Don’t hold your breath for the transition to a bold hydrogen future just yet though; industry insiders claim that before hydrogen cars can become widespread the government may need to pump in up to an astonishing $55 billion more in additional funding to pay for research and subsidies to build fueling stations.
They’ve certainly got a long way to go - it is estimated that fewer than 200 hydrogen vehicles are currently operating in the U.S. Still, who was it that said that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step…
Image Credit - ideowl on flickr
First comes the requirement of an efficient clean method of producing hydrogen.
So far the many ‘exciting’ bits of research are far from being useful. The ‘exciting’ is intended to mean that most are so much smoke and not really useful.
Imagine you are a parent of several kids, member of your community, home owner, grocery shopper, tax payer. You are employed by a company researching hydrogen fuel cells. Their business model requires a federal grant for improving their research facility.
Our centralized federal government declares the funds are now gone, there is no subsidy to help with the research facility. You are laid off, you cannot afford your mortgage, you scramble take what you can get, move your family to the next city.
Now this? If our federal government were serious about alt fuel and vehicles, they would get out of the way. These programs and rule changes inhibit the ability for businesses to grow and expand, let alone survive. Policy shifts are disastrous for our economy and way of life.
Want to help get the US off of foreign oil and clean our air? Then support smaller political parties who push for smaller government and increased liberties. We must end the centralization of power in Washington DC.