Comment Log Display

ELECTRICITY TO
MAKE HYDROGEN IS HIDDEN
by Phil Birkhahn,
Co-Chair Transportation Committee, San Diego 350
E3 Slides 25 and
26
The two slides,
E3 25 and 26, hide the massive environmental impact of hydrogen
fuel cells.  In
addition to the fuel cell capacity, renewable electricity capacity
of 55 GW is required for other electricity hogging steps before
hydrogen is pumped into a fuel cell.  It is shown in my edit of your graphic.
Only one-third of
the electricity used to make and deliver hydrogen is regenerated by
the fuel cells.  That
low efficiency of just 33% must be carefully considered and all
other options exhausted before the desperate move to hydrogen is
made.
Just saying the
“loads . . . . will be provided by off-grid renewables”
on E3 Slide 24 is a cop out. 
Vast amounts of land will be required for the solar panels
and maybe some wind turbines.
The huge demand
for land for solar farms, is on the same order as the entire
generating capacity of California today.  Think three times more solar panels in the
desert.
Competition for
the land will surely drive up the cost of all electricity used in
California.  
Question:  Why do columns for
Alternatives in E3 Slides 25 and 26 show no fuel cell
capacity.  Other
slides in the E3 presentation indicate substantial demand and use
of hydrogen.  Will of
that hydrogen be burned?