Wind-to-Hydrogen Experiments in Minnesota

From Green Car Congress (and also noted by Spinneyhead), news of the dedication of "the only public large-scale wind research instrument in the United States designed to conduct research on converting wind power into hydrogen" in Morris, Minnesota:

This system will explore the use of renewable hydrogen in applications such as fuel cells and localized fertilizer production. In the future, the facility will conduct research and demonstration projects on wind energy storage and on-demand renewable energy systems such as biomass and biodiesel generation, in addition to hydrogen fuel cells.

The production of hydrogen using wind-generated electricity is projected—long term—to be one of the least expensive and cleanest options for creating the gas.

While I've expressed my reservations about the concept of a "hydrogen economy" being used as a distraction from proven energy-saving technology we now have (like hybrid cars), this looks like a promising long-term experiment. Still, it would also be interesting to see if the University is also conducting experiments on energy conservation and more immediately useful forms of renewable production.

Technorati tags: wind power, hydrogen, Minnesota


Shop Solar and Rewewable Energy Items at Gaiam.com!