174 R. M. URIU
that a full “scaling up” of the industry would reduce annual CO 2 emissions by 6 Gt yearly, and could lead to “revenues of more than $2.5
trillion per year, and jobs for more than 30 million people globally”
(Hydrogen Council 2017, p. 9). Although analysts are concerned about
which company or country ends up being more successful, what may ultimately be more important to all of us is whether the hydrogen and fuel
cell industry can be developed quickly enough so that it can become part
of the solution to our current environmental crisis.
Notes
1. Hydrogen and fuel cells are tied together in terms of usage but are separate technologies. Fuel cells can utilize many gasses, including methane,
natural gas, and ammonia, but today the most promising focus is on
hydrogen. Hydrogen can also be used as a clean source for power generation, as a feedstock for industrial uses, and as a storage medium. Hydrogen
could replace fossil fuels used in the production of certain chemicals,
petrochemicals and steel (Hydrogen Council 2017; Brouwer 2017; IEA
Hydrogen 2017).
2. Steven Chu, President Obama’s Secretary of Energy, for instance, argued
that we will need “four miracles” to occur before fuel cells will be viable
(Mench 2015).
3. As Rodrik (2014), argues that governments today often use policy to favor
the fossil fuel sector. Green industrial policy advocates argue that policy
should be used to support cleaner, future technologies.
4. The Hydrogen Council, a leading international policy group that represents most companies in the hydrogen sector, makes this argument. While
self-serving, the Hydrogen Council’s call to action is exactly what Green
industrial policy scholars agree is necessary.
5. In the case of energy policy, METI has long been the most influential
government agency. Other energy-related government agencies include
the ANRE, which is a part of METI, and the New Energy and Industrial
Technology Development Organization (NEDO), a semi-governmental
organization affiliated with METI. Another major actor is the National
Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), which
oversees Japan’s research facilities.
6. In this first basic research stage, the Japanese government provided some
US$3.6 billion for hydrogen research and “modest funding” for R&D on
a range of basic fuel cell technologies. Further support for fuel cell technologies were a part of METI’s 1981 “Moonlight Plan” (Maeda 2003a,
p. 10).
that a full “scaling up” of the industry would reduce annual CO 2 emissions by 6 Gt yearly, and could lead to “revenues of more than $2.5
trillion per year, and jobs for more than 30 million people globally”
(Hydrogen Council 2017, p. 9). Although analysts are concerned about
which company or country ends up being more successful, what may ultimately be more important to all of us is whether the hydrogen and fuel
cell industry can be developed quickly enough so that it can become part
of the solution to our current environmental crisis.
Notes
1. Hydrogen and fuel cells are tied together in terms of usage but are separate technologies. Fuel cells can utilize many gasses, including methane,
natural gas, and ammonia, but today the most promising focus is on
hydrogen. Hydrogen can also be used as a clean source for power generation, as a feedstock for industrial uses, and as a storage medium. Hydrogen
could replace fossil fuels used in the production of certain chemicals,
petrochemicals and steel (Hydrogen Council 2017; Brouwer 2017; IEA
Hydrogen 2017).
2. Steven Chu, President Obama’s Secretary of Energy, for instance, argued
that we will need “four miracles” to occur before fuel cells will be viable
(Mench 2015).
3. As Rodrik (2014), argues that governments today often use policy to favor
the fossil fuel sector. Green industrial policy advocates argue that policy
should be used to support cleaner, future technologies.
4. The Hydrogen Council, a leading international policy group that represents most companies in the hydrogen sector, makes this argument. While
self-serving, the Hydrogen Council’s call to action is exactly what Green
industrial policy scholars agree is necessary.
5. In the case of energy policy, METI has long been the most influential
government agency. Other energy-related government agencies include
the ANRE, which is a part of METI, and the New Energy and Industrial
Technology Development Organization (NEDO), a semi-governmental
organization affiliated with METI. Another major actor is the National
Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), which
oversees Japan’s research facilities.
6. In this first basic research stage, the Japanese government provided some
US$3.6 billion for hydrogen research and “modest funding” for R&D on
a range of basic fuel cell technologies. Further support for fuel cell technologies were a part of METI’s 1981 “Moonlight Plan” (Maeda 2003a,
p. 10).