The Feasibility of a Hydrogen
Powered Economy
By: Team Terminators
What is hydrogen?
Why do we need hydrogen?

“We are at the peak of the oil age but the beginning of
the hydrogen age. Anything else is an interim
solution. The transition will be very messy, and will take
many technological paths .....but the future will be
hydrogen fuel cells.”
Herman Kuipers, Manager of Exploratory Research Royal Dutch Shell

“General Motors absolutely sees the long-term future of
the world being based on a hydrogen economy.”
Larry Burns, Director of R&D, General Motors
Why Hydrogen?
Goldman Sachs predicts
that within the next year (by
2007), crude oil
prices could top $100 per
barrel, leading to gas prices
of over $4 per
gallon.
Why Hydrogen?
The world's demand for
energy is projected to
double by 2050 in
response to population
growth and the
industrialization of
developing countries.
Production
COAL
Natural Gas
Production
Wind
Solar
Production
If we converted the current U.S. light-duty fleet (some 230 million vehicles) to fuel cell
vehicles we would need about 310 billion gallons of water per year. Domestic water use is
about 4.8 trillion gallons per year, and 70 trillion gallons a year are used for thermoelectric
power generation. Interestingly enough, the refinery industry uses about 300 billion gallons
of water a year to produce gasoline
Photobiological
Biomass Gasification and Pyrolysis
Distribution
Private Sector R&D
Storage
Fuel Cells
Our Plan for the Future:
2006 – Immediate science and technology education initiatives, including R&D
2010 – First fuel cell cars on the road (motor pool fleets)
Fuels cells in buildings/new construction
Widespread H2 production
Begin to create H2 infrastructure (distribution/manufacture)
Tradable permits for CO2 emissions, require auto manufacturers to buy in to
2015 – Fuel cell cars in showrooms
H2 fueling stations in major markets (NY, LA, etc. . . )
Fuel cells in private homes
Mandate utilities to produce H2
2025 – End internal combustion vehicle manufacture/import
Tighten limits on “cap and trade” for CO2
Hydrogen Powered PRT in metropolitan centers
2035 – Sell zero CO2 permits
Plan for the Future
The amount of money spent on the
Apollo program in 1961 is the
equivalent of $100 billion today. If this
level of funding were dedicated to
research and development of
hydrogen fuel technologies, we could
be free of dependence on fossil fuels
by 2035.