When it comes to Washington DC politics it’s not always clear whether the dog is wagging the tail or the tail is wagging the dog. Such is the case with hydrogen. Recently I talked about how President Obama once again has proposed to slash the hydrogen budget by $70 million through the Department of Energy (DOE). But until this time comes the DOE has other plans.
In the meantime, the DOE has helped both the Lawrence Livermore and Sandia National Labs rollout Ford F450 hydrogen shuttle buses. These 9-passenger shuttle buses will ferry passengers around the respective campuses all the while promoting hydrogen vehicles as the rides of the future.
In a related story, the DOE has underwritten the costs for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to purchase 18 additional Nuvera fuel cell powered forklifts. The hydrogen FCVs will replace battery only models and join another 20 fuel cell forklift previously purchased for use around the 1.5 million square foot Susquehanna Defense Distribution Supply Depot in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania.
Now, when it comes to politics voters are used to politicians talking out both sides of their mouths. But, hydrogen and the other alternative energy resources are not political by nature. Bipartisan support needs to be given to all forms of alternative energy in order than this country may one day soon wean itself off of oil.
When President Bush was in office he promoted hydrogen, for whatever his reasons were. Now that Obama is in office, he is downgrading the importance of hydrogen and one has to wonder if he has decided that hydrogen is a political football that needs to be punted by political pundits punishing along party lines.
But, I am here to say that hydrogen is not political. It is pragmatic. In order to wean ourselves off foreign oil and clean up our environment, hydrogen will need a place at the table of future energy and an important place at that.
Who is a bad guy at DOE?:
Steven Chu works for the Nuclear industry and steers support away from wind, hydrogen, electric and geothermal. He is a master of
the delay tactic. His utter refusal to meet with reform groups or even members of Congress regarding process and ethics issues and
his adversarial approach to OMB requests shows what he is about: Protecting his nuclear power friends.
Steve Rattner was the head of the car funding program and has already been charged with criminal actions. He made the backroom deals with Detroit.
Lachlan Seward ran the cut-offs on all DOE funding to make sure only his Detroit friends got money.
Matt Rogers and Steve Spinner were Steven Chu’s friends from McKinsey Consulting who helped keep the lid on the insider deals and make sure only the Chu “friendlies” got the money.
Steve Silver was brought in as a “fake VC” to pretend like he was going to fix things but he just serves as a figurehead to sign off
on corrupt deals flowing past him.
Phil Tobin manipulates the Loan Gaurantee program to benefit Nuclear friends and lock out others.
Rod O’Conner conduits funding & support, for Mr. Chu, away from wind, hydrogen, electric and geothermal.
Cathy Zoi supported the corrupt administration efforts.
Kristina Johnson ran the paperwork for the corrupt administration efforts.
Scott Harris keeps the contracts and legal reviews steered towards oil and nuckear friends and avoids investigation requests.
James Markowsky is a direct conduit for the oil companies.
Warren F. “Pete” Miller Jr is a direct conduit for Steven Chu’s nuclear agenda.
Cynthia Anderson, DOE-EM’s head of stimulus work who ran corrupt funding through the Savannah project.
Major enthusiast of the page, plenty of your blogposts have truly helped me out. Looking towards news!