If you think the Hydrogen Economy (part of the emerging Energy Economy) is some distant pipe dream that your region can safely ignore for another twenty years, think again.
UPS is testing hydrogen fuel cell-powered delivery trucks in three different parts of the country.
UPS says the trucks have power and acceleration comparable to the same size gas or diesel powered trucks, and 10% more space for cargo because of the compactness and efficiency of fuel cells. Even better, the trucks have zero emissions.
Yes, they cost more right now, but UPS has 80,000 vehicles in its fleet. Fuel is a major cost and rising. Over time, the new trucks can potentially save the company money--savings that will go straight to the bottom line.
As Skip Skinner, in the Lenowisco Planning District in southwest Virginia, is fond of reminding me, coal has a lot of hydrogen locked up inside it. Could it be that the coal belts in the U.S. become the hydrogen producers of the future? Could coal become "king" again? If it did, would your region be able to participate in that boom?