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[Erasmo]

Subsidies were to be forthcoming for the Woodside station -- according to the 2015 plan, about $100,000 a year for three years. Asked if that figure had changed, Mr. Cazel said the amount is "to be determined."

Yikes.

[Richard230]

Subsidies were to be forthcoming for the Woodside station -- according to the 2015 plan, about $100,000 a year for three years. Asked if that figure had changed, Mr. Cazel said the amount is "to be determined."

Yikes.

And we all know that subsidies never get reduced.     And if you think that is bad, just imagine what the subsidy would need to be to keep California's $100 billion and rising "High Speed Rail" project running - if it ever gets completed (which it won't).   

To me, I would much rather put that electrical power into a battery instead of making hydrogen from water and then compressing it and keeping the liquid very cold until it is pumped into a heavy fuel tank to be turned back into electricity and water.  The whole idea just doesn't make any sense to me.    At least not if cost and efficiency is a goal - which it probably isn't. 

[Erasmo]

Only that hydrogen doesn't come from electricity but from fracked oil.

[Richard230]

Only that hydrogen doesn't come from electricity but from fracked oil.

According to that linked article that I posted, about 40% of the hydrogen sold (if it ever is) would be manufactured on site.  No fracking there.  Just lots of electricity and a source of water.  The remaining H2 would be trucked in to the site.  I don't know where that is coming from, but I don't think there is any oil drilling or fracking in the SF Bay Area.  If there was, someone would have burned down the facilities by now.     Or did you mean "cracking" instead of "fracking"? 

[Richard230]

Here is the latest Hydrogen Highway progress photo obtained by looking through the security fence yesterday. I think those VW fast chargers will be operating long before this H2 station gets going.  Just a few more months and it will be a year without any measurable progress.   

[togo]

"Steam-methane reforming, the current leading technology for producing hydrogen in large quantities" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_fuel#Production
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane#Natural_gas

I'm guessing that's the right term, reforming. 

I Am Not A Chemist.

[Mattbastard]

Why are they even pursuing this? 

[togo]

PG&E? Fossil greenwashing? Compliance deferral? Arnold H-1 flashbacks? It's hard to know why people do things.

[Richard230]

Why are they even pursuing this? 

Money.    Some how, someone(s) believes that there is money to be made from H2.     After all, it is the most abundant element in the Universe.  So you ought to be able to buy low and sell high.   

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

The station across from Alice's is still worthless and there's no charging station. I think Alice's management is just permanently annoyed by the entire fiasco and will never directly agree to EV investment.

[Richard230]

The station across from Alice's is still worthless and there's no charging station. I think Alice's management is just permanently annoyed by the entire fiasco and will never directly agree to EV investment.

Having talked to both owners of the restaurant, that does seem to be their current position.  However, they are an equal opportunity "hater", as they also have no use for the H2 station across the street (which I think is on property owned by the adjacent Sky Londa community store).  Frankly, Alice's is so busy 7 days a week right now that don't really need, or apparently want, any more customers, not even EV ones.  (It has been quite a while since I have seen any Tesla or Leaf owners up there - and there are a lot of those people within 30 miles of the restaurant.)

[Richard230]

The Hydrogen Highway has returned. Finally after several years of growing weeds, the construction work is back on. But will anyone want to drive into the woods to refill their H2-powered car?  I wonder.     You can't even get anyone to install an L2 charging station around there.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

I recently tested the 4 J plugs at the nearby library, at least. Some day that intersection will support EV charging. And it will likely outlive that H station.

[Killroy]

I saw a "well to wheel" efficiency analysis of two different fuel cell vehicles and the results were surprising.  One was filled with hydrogen - which we are familiar and one filled with Natural Gas. 

The one filled with natural gas has a onboard reformer that strips the hydrogen form natural gas - similar to how Bloom Energy (stationary fuel cells) does it or similar to how hydrogen is made today.  The benefit of the fuel cell vehicle is that compressed natural guess is easier to store and handle then hydrogen. The analysis showed that the CNG Fuel Cell was slightly more efficient.   Natural gas infrastructure is everywhere, so hydrogen full stations may be thought of as unnecessary.  The drawback is that it takes time for the reformer to warm up. 

I can't fine the analysis results, but if anyone knows of it, they should post it.

[togo]

"$2,125,000 to install a hydrogen refueling station in Woodside."

according to this 2014 article:
https://insideevs.com/california-approves-46-6-million-funding-hydrogen-fueling-stations-2-8-million-ev-charging-stations/