The State of the Electrical Grid: In regard to the energy transition...

[Stewy]

(04-18-2022, 02:46 PM)Sled21 Wrote: The reason I think they aren't the solution, is because the hydrogen fuel cell is so much better. Electric cars, even if you take the issues with the batteries and their ultimate disposal out of it, still have to be charged. In an overwhelming part of the country, that means they are still powered with coal. Hydrogen is the most plentiful thing on this planet, and when it is processed through the fuel cell you can actually drink the water that comes out of the tailpipe. The energy comes from the hydrogen that charges the car. THAT is a true zero emission vehicle. We just need hydrogen pumps. You can fill a hydrogen tank on a vehicle in the same amount of time you can fill up with gas.

To Sled:
While I appreciate your enthusiasm for hydrogen, there are two main obstacles to it's current widespread use.
#1 - It's Dangerous - a misplaced spark or a severe wreck and your vehicle will go up like the Space Shuttle Challenger (same fuel, theory and chemistry).  More advances in technology are needed to mitigate these safety issues.  Currently there are some Hydrogen  cars out there, but if the roads were full of them, then big pileups would potentially be like bombs going off.
#2 - Inefficiency:  Hydrogen tech is currently 4x more expensive than electric, which is several time more expensive than fossil fuels.

To everyone:  I'd like to thank everyone for their participation in this thread.

One cannot force a transition.  A transition is gradual.  Trying to skip to the end doesn't work because the world (consumer and providers) is not ready or willing to do it.

Here's how a transition should work:
Power Generation - Coal to be replaced by Natural Gas; more wind;  more hydrothermal; more hydroelectric, but this has sustainability issues due to weather; more nuclear;

Vehicles:  Transition from gasoline to Natural gas (much much cleaner); continue to increase efficiency and competitiveness of Hydrogen; continue to increase efficiency of electric batteries and technology; more EV's, but limited by decaying power grids

Infrastructure:  The Power grid is collapsing;  brownouts in Western states are the norm; a warming Earth and more EVs will only worsen the issues; this is a huge problem and there is no easy low cost solution; our power grid needs completely rebuilt for an EV future;  creation of widespread hydrogen or EV refueling stations is a serious limiter to either going forward

Final Thoughts:  Nothing is as simple as saying "let's do this" because all of our energy (exploration, generation and delivery) is privatized.  Until energy explorers, providers, and generators can make a buck on the new stuff, they're going to stick with the old stuff.  I really think the Fed Govt is going to have to step up and commit to providing one piece of the puzzle, and that is fixing the failing power grid.  If that piece of the equation is removed from the list of problems, then many other things can move forward.  But until the power grid is fixed and modernized, our clean future is a pipe dream, barring some unprecedented and unexpected scientific discovery.