More work is necessary to make hydrogen fuel cost competitive with gasoline and diesel and ensure it delivers on its zero-emission promise, new report says.

More work is necessary to make hydrogen fuel cost competitive with gasoline and diesel and ensure it delivers on its zero-emission promise.
A new report from Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) concludes hydrogen fuel may not be as feasible as a fossil fuel replacement as previously hoped. Writer Skip Descant summarizes the report’s findings in a recent article for Government Technology.
“In recent years hydrogen has been explored and advocated in much the same fashion as battery-electric technology for cars, trucks, and host of other vehicles,” Descant writes. But its fossil fuel-heavy production methods and complicated storage and distribution network currently make it too expensive to replace gasoline and diesel–and counteract its carbon neutral claims.
Though hydrogen power produces no harmful greenhouse gases (GHG) when it’s used, 98 percent of hydrogen produced today relies on fossil-fuel heavy production methods, according to the ITIF report, titled A Realist Approach to Hydrogen.
“The economies of scaling this type of hydrogen production are currently not feasible, the report concluded,” writes Descant. For hydrogen fuel to reach its full green potential and become price competitive, wind and solar power generation will need to be expanded to the point that they are creating surplus that can be used for hydrogen production, experts say.
The report authors point out their findings should not be taken as a criticism of green energy or denial of climate change. They call for additional research and development of new technologies to make the cost of clean fuels like hydrogen competitive, which they say is crucial for a successful “green transition.”
FULL STORY: Hydrogen Is Still a Heavy Lift for Clean Transportation

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

Savannah Reduces Speed Limits on Almost 100 City Streets
The historic Georgia city is lowering speed limits in an effort to reduce road fatalities.

A Park Reborn: Resilience and Renewal in Fire-Stricken Altadena
Rebuilt in just two months after the devastating Eaton Fire, Loma Alta Park now stands as a symbol of community resilience and renewal, even as some residents hope recovery efforts will continue to support housing stability and long-term equity.

Spain Moves to Ban 66,000 Airbnbs
The national government is requiring the short-term rental operator to remove thousands of illegal listings from its site as part of an effort to stem a growing housing crisis.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions