The Energy of the Future?
Because the government has apparently put aside the use of nuclear power for electricity generation – although it is “clean” – we won’t discuss that prospect in this piece.
We hear a lot about using solar and wind as a replacement for fossil fuels. Our political “experts” on generating energy tout the possibilities of those alternatives – primarily because they heard about those two ‘savior’ alternatives from some other self-appointed, climate change pundits – and because that’s what the pundits know.
We also know that solar and wind are not reliable generators of electricity. We know that solar is more reliable in Florida than it is in Michigan, for example. The same goes for wind. Add to that the technology has not as yet solved the problem of effectively storing enough electricity to provide it when the sun goes down and/or the wind doesn’t blow.
But that appears to be the way we’re headed – ‘The Green New Deal’ stuff promotes those two alternatives exclusively.
Hello hydrogen.
The federal government has tax incentives for the development of solar and wind – and had some incentives for hydrogen – but they expired in 2011.
As far as I can determine there are no current incentives for the development of hydrogen as an alternative fuel. Which leads me to the obvious question “Why not?” and the next question “Why are there incentives for solar and wind, but not for hydrogen?”
It would appear to me that hydrogen maybe should be on top of the list of potential alternative fuels.
Here’s why I make that statement.
Hydrogen is the most abundant element on earth. It’s also the simplest – comprised of only one proton and one electron.
NASA has been using liquid hydrogen fuel for its launches since the 1970’s. The sun burns hydrogen. Our oceans are full of it. (H2O). Hydrogen can come from fossil fuels, alcohols, biomass, and water.
The byproducts of burning hydrogen are heat and water. And the heat can be used to create more hydrogen.
Creating hydrogen is not dependent on the weather.
Researchers at the University of Calgary have recently found a way to extract hydrogen from oil without removing the oil from the ground.
Oil fields, currently functioning or not, can produce hydrogen instead of oil. The method applies equally to oil sands and abandoned oil fields.
The technique involves pumping oxygen into the oil field. The oxygen heats the oil, releasing hydrogen and other gases. Special filters extract the hydrogen. The process leaves everything else—notably the carbon—in the ground.
Most of us are not chemists and aren’t familiar with chemical reactions. Put simply, hydrogen fuel cells work much like a battery with a cathode and an anode. They create electricity by splitting electrons from hydrogen molecules. Hydrogen enters the anode and uses a catalyst (typically made of platinum particles) to split the gas into electrons and protons. The protons pass through an electrolyte membrane while the electrons do not – creating electricity. The byproduct is water as the protons combine with the oxygen in the air.
Like the sun and wind as energy sources, hydrogen has similar drawbacks on the expense side at this point and needs more research and development to make it more viable. But there’s no reason to believe that hydrogen can’t be as- or even more feasible than solar and wind – and indications are it is much more efficient.
One of the neat things about hydrogen fuel cells is that they can be used to power motor vehicles by themselves. Those fuel cells create their own electricity. So, to run your electric car, for example, you need to plug it into an electrical outlet regularly, but you need to generate and get the electricity somewhere else. To fuel your hydrogen powered vehicle, you only need fuel cells and a hydrogen gas storage tank that you can ‘fill up’ at the gas station similar to what we do with gasoline or diesel fuel.
A gallon of gasoline weighs 6.2 pounds and produces about the same amount of energy as 2.2 pounds of hydrogen. Where a car stores gasoline as a liquid, it stores hydrogen as a compressed gas at 10,000 pounds per square inch. Retail hydrogen stations can fill a tank in about five minutes. Batteries take hours to recharge.
Lastly, batteries wear out. Hydrogen fuel cells do not. They will operate as long as they have a constant source of fuel and air.
Like solar and wind, hydrogen powered electrical generation doesn’t pollute anything.
But what does it take to produce a solar panel? The main material is silica. It’s made into silicone via a heating process of 1800 C (3300 F). Wind turbine blades are made of fiberglass. Fiberglass is made using steady heat of 1371°C (2500°F). How is that heat generated? They don’t use wood, folks, they use electricity. Where does that come from? (There are other materials involved in manufacturing both items.)
Then there’s disposal. Without outlining numerous details, here’s the situation.
Disposal of solar panels: two states have already designated them as hazardous material requiring special treatment and cost.
Disposal of wind waste: those 120-foot fiberglass turbine blades have landfills already beginning to worry about accepting them because of the space required.
Most everything wears out, including solar panel and wind turbines.
Our government has spent gobs of money on solar and wind research, and still has incentives (subsidies) for the purchase of solar panels, windmills, and electric cars.
Our Dept. of Energy recently announced $53M in grants to “accelerate breakthroughs in the clean hydrogen sector.” While a pittance compared to money being spent for solar and wind research and development, at least a small sliver of government people is again recognizing the potential hydrogen has for green energy.
Before we all become solar and wind dependent for our electricity, we should seriously explore further the possibility hydrogen holds.
************
Have a great and prosperous week.
Hug somebody.
References:
https://sustainingourworld.com/2019/09/05/hydrogen-as-an-alternative-fuel/
https://www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/hydrogen-fuel-basics
https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2021/03/16/the-tragedy-of-wind-turbine-blade-disposal/
SPIDER Bites
Maybe you do, but I don’t remember Biden campaigning on achieving a major expansion in public education spending, one of the largest expansions of the social safety net, the largest investment in climate change mitigation” and overhauls in labor law – just to mention a few current proposals. He had some progressive ideas, but he campaigned on bringing things back to “the center” – neither right nor left wing. His $3.5T spending plan has so much far left, socialistic stuff in it – it needs to die.
Here we go. People are being fired in the public and private sector for not getting a COVID vaccination – that includes needed hospital medical personnel when nurses are in such short supply. I can’t believe this is happening in America – and those doing the firing are apparently getting away with it. Companies are threatened with mega-fines if they don’t comply.
With COVID infection rates dropping nearly 80% in the past month, Florida deaths attributed to the disease have declined as well. We now have 71% of residents aged 12 and up now vaccinated. Our county has had no COVID deaths in the past three weeks. Floridians who still support mandates, especially in the schools, need to ‘get a life.’ Between vaccinations and infection produced antibodies, we have to be close to – if not arrived at – herd immunity here.
At about 22 times forward earnings, the S&P 500’s P/E ratio hasn’t been this elevated since late 2001. Still, some enthusiastic stock analysts are predicting the S&P Index, now at 4,350, will hit 5,500 in 2022. Let’s remember 1) where the federal and some state governments are (aren’t) in the pandemic; 2) the state of the federal government headed into October; and 3) the state of businesses with global supply chains interrupted and labor shortages; and 4) the obvious slowdown in economic growth/comeback. The market is way overpriced now, going higher is fool’s gold.
Yields on Treasuries bumped up last week – meaning investors were willing to pay less for them, signifying investors thinking they are taking higher risks when buying them. Fed or no Fed, interest rates are rising in response to increased government debt and inflation.
Crude oil is flirting with $80/BBL and predicted at $90 by year’s end. If inflation continues above 5%, consumers will cut back on purchases transitioning to a slowdown in real economic growth. Oh, while we’re at this juncture, let’s raise taxes so when we spend another $3.5T it won’t cost anything.
Will women need to register for the draft – selective service? If the latest military expenditure recommendation is passed, the answer is ‘yes.’ Please don’t put pregnant women in assault units.
Speaking of the military, Generals Millay and McKenzie and defense Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin testified to a Senate Committee last week that President Biden was advised to maintain troops in Afghanistan until US citizens were out. President Biden says he did not receive such advice. Somebody’s lying. In any case, apparently nobody is responsible or accountable.
