Reply #16: As I understand it, [View All]

current hydrogen production relies heavily on natual gas, and a shift to a "hydrogen economy" presumes an abundance of natural gas as a "transition fuel." But natural gas reserves are being depleted at a rate comparable to oil, and demands for its traditional household use continue to grow.

"Given the already low net energy from renewables as well as the net energy losses from both the conversion of electricity to hydrogen and the subsequent conversion of hydrogen back to electricity, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the 'hydrogen economy' touted by well-meaning visionaries will by necessity be a much lower-energy economy than we are accustomed to."

- Richard Heinberg, The Party's Over