HYDROGEN HIGHWAY's EDITOR -- REPORTING LIVE FROM THE NATIONAL HYDROGEN CONFERENCE

--Incredible Momentum! Unprecedented partnership among Energy Companies, Auto Companies, and Government--

Washington DC, March 30, 2005 /HydrogenHighway.com^®/

I want to take this opportunity to share with you some of the enthusiasm I’m feeling being here at the National Hydrogen Conference in our nation’s capital. The level of cooperation amongst the energy companies, car companies, and the Dept of Energy is truly incredible and I believe unprecedented.

The common theme here is the commitment to a hydrogen future and the belief that such a future is essential to our economic, environmental and national security. The energy and auto companies represented here do not seem to be simply “hedging their bets” Executives from all the major energy companies and automobile companies spoke as if with one voice – saying that hydrogen is the long term answer.

Caroll Battershell of BP said, “Hydrogen is the only current option that addresses local air quality, CO2 emissions, and energy security. We don’t see a plan B.”

Perhaps most of what makes hydrogen, THE SINGLE, answer is that there is really nothing singular about it. Hydrogen can be made from such a diversity of “feedstocks” to use the DOE term. When you can get your energy from such an enormous variety of sources using an enormous variety of technologies, you have true energy security and the economic and national security which go with it. Orange peels, cow poop, solar, wind, natural gas, coal, and all the other traditional energy sources can all be used to create hydrogen. Your car isn’t going to care to care where the hydrogen comes from. Perhaps it was generated at your local gas station using steam reforming of natural gas. Perhaps you made some in your garage from a solar panel on the roof which electrolyzed some water. It is that very independence from the original source which creates the ultimate in flexibility. No one can hold our energy supply hostage, because energy is everywhere. As the price of one source becomes prohibitive, others become attractive. If one supply becomes disrupted, there are others.

“Optionality” was a term used a lot today. Hydrogen gives you “optionality.” Rather than locking you in, it gives you choices. “Diversification” was another buzzword of the day underscoring the exact same theme.

“Partnership” was the third word I heard again and again and it was spoken even more loudly with actions than it was with words. Moving forward to a hydrogen economy is a huge undertaking, requiring the cooperation of government and industry, requiring the unprecedented cooperation between industries, requiring the teamwork between the world of academic science and entrepreneurs. What I witnessed today gave me enormous faith in the future that such a partnership is possible.

The piece that’s still missing in all of this is the general public. And, that’s where you and I come in. All of us are a critical piece of that partnership as we each have an enormous stake in our future.

Please, really think about what an energy independent future might mean for us all. Start talking about it with your friends and most of all our children. It is their future we are protecting. Encourage student essays and tell your friends to sign up for our newsletters. The next decade or so is going to be exciting and transformative.