New hydrogen fuel bus is coming to Hawaii

[nationalize the fed]

25 June 2014 Hydrogenfuelnews.com

U.S. Hybrid wins contract from Hawaii’s Center for Advanced Transportation Technologies

The Hawaii Center for Advanced Transportation Technologies has announced that it has awarded a contract to U.S. Hydbrid. The $707,550 contract involves the development of a hybrid fuel cell, battery-powered bus that will operate on the Big Island. The bus is meant to hold 25 passengers and is expected to begin operation in 2015. It will be the first bus powered by hydrogen fuel to operate in Hawaii. The state is currently home to several clean transportation projects, but none of these projects have yet produced a vehicle that is available for public use.

New bus to be powered by fuel cell and battery system

The fuel cell and battery used for the bus will power the vehicle’s power train, air conditioner, and auxiliary electrical systems. The battery itself will receive electrical charge from the vehicle’s brakes, while the fuel cell will generate electrical power through the consumption of hydrogen. The bus already has strong support from the Big Island’s Mayor, Billy Kenoi, whom notes that the bus represents the county’s first major step toward making use of its renewable energy resources and embracing clean transportation.

Hydrogen continues to win favor in the transportation realm

Hydrogen fuel cells have become quite attractive in the transportation sector, especially when it comes to public transit. These energy systems are capable of producing large amounts of electrical power, but they are also notoriously expensive. Typical fuel cells make use of platinum, which comprises their catalyst and allows them to operate as intended. The high cost of fuel cells has limited their appeal in terms of public transportation, as most governments are unwilling to pay exorbitant amounts of money on singular fuel cell systems...MORE
http://www.hydrogenfuelnews.com/new-hydrogen-fuel-bus-coming-hawaii/8518409/

Twenty Hydrogen Myths by noted environmentalist Amory Lovins
http://www.rmi.org/Knowledge-Center/Library/E03-05_TwentyHydrogenMyths

[Warpy]

1. City buses here in NM use natural gas

and no longer is it horrible to be stuck behind a bus in heavy traffic, sucking in black smoke from a poorly maintained diesel. You can see heat rising from the tailpipe and water dripping on the ground but that's it.

Fuel cell buses would be even cleaner, generating no CO2.

[BlueStreak]

3. The CO2 is released upstream

in the process of synthesizing the hydrogen from natural gas. It is probably better than burning Diesel fuel, but certainly not zero emission.

There is research into getting hydrogen from natural gas without the CO2 release, but I don't think any of that is happening in the real world today.

[BlueStreak]

2. Note myth #12

The fact is that almost all the hydrogen in distribution today comes not from hydrolysis, but from synthesis of natural gas. The author eventually mentioned that, but not until p23. This might be a little cleaner than burning gasoline, but not that much.

The same thing is true of pure electric vehicles like the Tesla. If the source of electricity is 70% or more from coal, then a Prius burning gasoline has a lower carbon footprint than a Tesla (or other pure EV.)

The issue is the SOURCE. It is nice to have new vehicle technologies (batteries and fuel cells) that will be able to use renewable energy cleanly, but these vehicles are only as clean as the SOURCE of the power TODAY.

We really need to make much more progress on the move to wind and solar.

[hunter]

4. Situation is even weirder on the Big Island.

Conceivably the Big Island could get all the power it needed for electricity and transportation from geothermal plants similar to those of Iceland, and solar, yet...

More than 200 geothermal power protesters gather outside HELCO

By JOHN BURNETT
Stephens Media Hawaii

More than 200 people staged a peaceful protest Monday outside Hawaii Electric Light Co.’s Hilo headquarters to express displeasure with the utility’s plan to expand geothermal energy development on the Big Island.

The protest was organized by Puna Pono Alliance, an environmental group opposed to geothermal expansion. Some of the demonstrators had taken part in a three-day march to Hilo starting Saturday from Pahoa High School.

The protesters lined all four corners of the intersection of Kilauea Avenue and Kekuanaoa Street, and waved signs with slogans such as “SAVE POHOIKI” and “HELL NO, HELCO.” They shouted and waved at passing vehicles, and many drivers honked back, as the sound of drums and a trumpet filled the midday air.

http://westhawaiitoday.com/sections/news/local-news/more-200-geothermal-power-protesters-gather-outside-helco.html

The politics are extremely complex, Helco has a bad reputation, and so far it's easier (and more profitable for some well-connected people) to import oil. Huge amounts of oil are imported for the military and tourists anyways... so why not?

On O'ahu "natural" gas is synthesized from oil, and Hawai'i gas would really like to import LNG.