Posted on 07/09/2005 7:00:10 AM PDT by calcowgirl
In a setback for one of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's centerpiece environmental efforts, state lawmakers on Thursday approved barely half the money the state Environmental Protection Agency had said was needed to start building a "hydrogen highway" across California.
Lawmakers hammering out the state budget in Sacramento approved $6.5 million for the system of nonpolluting hydrogen cars and fueling stations beginning Jan. 1.
Some Democrats questioned the expense. They raised concerns about whether the money would be better spent on schools, and whether taxpayers or private companies will own the hydrogen fueling stations the money will help construct. Republicans also questioned whether the technology for hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles is viable.
The administration sought to put the best face on the news, although it jeopardizes Schwarzenegger's goal of having up to 100 hydrogen fueling stations in California by 2010.
"It is still moving forward," said Jon Myers, a state EPA spokesman. "The $6.5 million we got is enough to get us going. We're still going to be able to start building stations."
(snip)
About 90 hydrogen vehicles are on California roads now in demonstration projects. The Schwarzenegger blueprint sets a goal of 2,000 by 2010. But legislators are clearly not on board with the idea yet.
"There were concerns that the technology was not quite there yet," said Republican Senate leader Dick Ackerman of Tustin.
(snip)
Environmentalists said they will look to the federal government for more funding.
"Am I disappointed? Yes," said Roland Hwang, vehicles policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Fund in San Francisco. "We do understand there are a lot of competing priorities. But the urgency to cut global warming pollution and reduce our oil dependency is so great that this is a prudent investment."
(Excerpt) Read more at montereyherald.com ...
Buidling stations for something that has not proven its self makes sense to me and every other idiot.
"Lawmakers hammering out the state budget in Sacramento approved $6.5 million for the system of nonpolluting hydrogen cars and fueling stations beginning Jan. 1"
The cars themselves don't pollute, but how is the hydrogen generated? As far as I know it creates a lot more pollution to run the coal electric generating station to get the hydrogen for the car to go 100 miles, than a regular modern gasoline powered car would generate going the same 100 miles or even 200 miles.
Our best known one is called the Legislature.
Arnold's blueprint needs to be paying down state debt.
It can also be stripped from natural gas. In fact, I've read that some companies are planning to do this and to inject the carbon leftover from the process into abandoned wells, thus obtaining a "carbon credit." However, it means you're still dependent on the dreaded "fossile fuels," getting away from which is half the argument for this silly proposal.
Half a chunk of dough is better than none.
and this one is a real chunk blower. ;-)
Oh no hydrogen will save us all...
You gotta watch the Hystery Channel and their new hydrogen
global warming shill Jeremy Rifkin
I have seen signs posted indicating the presence of electric car charging stations in the Los Angeles area. Perhaps they can just convert them. I haven't noticed large fleets of electric cars down there, though.
I've actually seen charging stations at the mall in Phoenix, sitting there in a prime spot completely un-used....
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