In 2003, President George W. Bush announced a national initiative to develop hydrogen fuel cell cars. This was part of a larger vision that saw a “hydrogen economy” as the key to a clean energy future. So where are we two decades later? Dr. Chuck Kutscher discusses the trials and tribulations of using hydrogen energy not just in the transportation sector but for potential applications in buildings, industry, and electricity storage as well. What are the issues that have caused many experts to question the concept of a hydrogen economy? And what is a realistic view today of potential hydrogen use cases moving forward in light of the growing climate change crisis and the enormous changes that we have seen in the energy field?
Dr. Charles (Chuck) Kutscher is a Fellow of the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI) at the University of Colorado Boulder. Dr. Kutscher spent 4 decades as a renewable energy researcher and manager at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and was the Director of the Buildings and Thermal Systems Center when he retired from NREL in July 2018. He is a Past Chair and Fellow of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) and is lead author of the college textbook, “Principles of Sustainable Energy Systems”. Dr. Kutscher has served as lead or co-author of numerous studies on climate change solutions, and he has given many lectures and public presentations on this subject. He is a member of the Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES) Policy Committee where he has recently focused on legislation and regulatory actions aimed at decarbonizing Colorado’s buildings sector.
Organized by the Jeffco chapter of the Colorado Renewable Energy Society, recorded on Oct 22, 2024. Contact: [email protected], cres-energy.org/. Video production by Martin Voelker.
ABOUT CRES – cres-energy.org
The Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES) is dedicated to the advancement of all forms of renewable energy (RE), energy efficiency (EE), and their synergy with sustainability and economic development. Learn more at cres-energy.org.
CRES features several local monthly speaker series throughout the state, provides speakers, experts, and workshops, and weighs in on state energy policy.