Hydrogen Actually

I’ve been reading about how France has been setting quite specific goals about the percentage of renewables they expect - for the next ten years - in the total energy mix, and this at the departmental level. 30%. This is awesome and seems out of reach for North America.

Parenthetically, been wondering if the United States is not undergoverned. Yes, there are two very active levels of government in the US, but the Lower House of Congress has 435 Representatives for a population of 326 million, while in France l’Assemblée Nationale has 577 for 67 million citizens. Their time will be spent differently. Not to mention the presence of the European Parliament, which I like to think of as the idealism layer. It is where Europeans are perhaps the most persnickety, but it also forces debate on a more abstract level and this makes it a very progessive force. (We engage in sandbox politics at the North American level!!)

Back to energy, it was long ago explained to me that the problem with renewables was that it was impossible to store excess production. you get wind energy when there is wind, and that’s it. And the renewable source that was freely accessible - hydrogen - was dangerous af. Thus, a real limit to the future of renewables. Turns out that, attacking the two problems together, there is solution of sorts. Excess renewable production can be used to produce hydrogen which can ge stored in gas no more than 20% of volume, for security reasons. And France has been moving ahead with demonstration projects. Source below.


https://www.engie.com/


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HAPPY FATHER'S DAY !!