Government Funding Dwindling on Hydrogen Research & Development
Despite President Bush pushing hydrogen as the automotive technology of the future five years ago, his latest would trim the budget for the federal program funding hydrogen research.
Automotive execs say that the constant changing of technology sources is what’s hindering its progress. They call it “technology du jour
Comments
KC Jones
If the research is all that important, why doesn't private enterprise step up to pay for it? I'm sick of my tax dollars being used for crap!!
Jeb
Technology du jour is exactly right, and it's not a new problem. Although I would say that even if funding is "dwindling," it's not as if research has or will stop.
DOWNSHIFTER
ROI- Return on inmvestment. Sure, he who makes the leap to hydrogen/fuel cell technology will be the Big Dog. But in the meantime, a guy's gotta eat.
dieselhead
The problem for doing ROI calculations is that the rules haven't been established (or they keep changing). You therefore have to add a substantial risk component (higher discount rate) to your ROI calculation to allow for the uncertainty about the rules. This can be a very big factor (disincentive) if the government's approach is to target certain technologies for a few years and then change horses (rather than taxing the undesirable outcome and letting the best technology win).
Private enterprise will not willingly increase the cost of cars New cafe standards are a help here (like 'em or not, they are pretty long term), but will there also be a greenhouse gas tax? Cap and trade for greenhouse gases? Tax breaks for investing in specific technologies? Tax breaks to consumers for buying certain technologies (as we had with hybrids a year or so ago, and now have for solar energy installations)?
Rex
It seem until our country either Wins and/or Declares Victory in Iraq will this country finally be able to fund programs to that lead meaningful alternative fuel research and break our dependency on oil. As long as we continue to fund an endless situation in Iraq that seems to lead to nothing positive.
Tony D
At least their priorities are straight, screw hydrogen research to fund the Iraqi dream. #%^@ing Bush is a war criminal.
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