The Road Not Yet Taken

This article discusses need for diversification in America’s energy supply. Analysis shows that there is no currently available pathway to produce hydrogen, store it, transport it as an energy carrier, and use it to generate heat or electricity as efficiently as using the heat or electric power from the primary energy source directly. Unconventional supplies of oil also won’t provide relief any time soon. The vast oil-shale deposits in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming have long been hailed as a future energy source. According to researchers, hybrid electric vehicles like the ones on the road today are twice as fuel efficient as the current average vehicle. However, the near-term reduction in fuel consumption of hybrid vehicles has been overstated. There are companies, such as Hybrid Prius Inc. and CalCars, which claim PHEV30s can achieve 100 mpg. Also important is that plug-in hybrid vehicle technology provides utilities with a new and sustainable market for off-peak electric power. This is to improve the performance of electrical storage in batteries or ultracapacitors, and it is important to develop technologies that can capture and store carbon dioxide.