The Energy Transition: where the focus should be
“We need to move up the line by substituting Hs for Cs, favoring natural gas over coal and oil.”
The long story of human energy revolves around two elements: hydrogen and carbon dioxide, or H and C. Together, they form hydrocarbons, which have been used since ancient times to release energy through combustion. Wood was used for heating shelters and cooking food.
Today, power plants are still driven by coal to supply the majority of society’s energy needs . Oil provides an energy-dense fuel for fast transportation from A to B. Natural gas heats modern homes and now replaces coal in power plants.
Humanity gradually transitioned from hydrocarbons with a high carbon content to hydrocarbons with higher hydrogen content, the actual “ decarbonization “. Wood is roughly 10 Cs to 1 H, coal is 1 to 1, oil is 1 to 2, and natural gas is 1 to 4.
The beauty of this evolution is that our energy sources have gradually become much cleaner. Hydrogen transforms into water vapor and heat when burned. The more hydrogen is used in the energy mix, the better it is for life on Earth. For hundreds of years, there has been a serious energy transition from C to H. Coal replaced wood in America around 1900 and globally around 1935. Oil overtook coal in America around 1950 and worldwide around 1970. Natural gas and nuclear were the next energy forms poised to dominate, climbing higher on the hydrogen ladder.
But in 1970, the steady climb toward cleaner fuels came to an abrupt halt. Jesse H. Ausubel of The Rockefeller University noted that the substitution process globally stalled for 50 years. RealClearScience asked Ausubel why this happened. His answer: the failure of nuclear energy to gain the expected market share. Misinformed nuclear opposition from environmental activists, protectionism from the coal industry, and marketing missteps by natural gas companies all contributed, according to Ausubel. He suggests that we should build large nuclear plants that produce hydrogen as a flexible intermediate product, storing nuclear heat as chemical energy. The abundant hydrogen can then reduce ores, heat homes and industries, synthesize chemicals, produce liquid fuels like methanol and ammonia, power engines, and even provide raw materials for food production.
In short: fewer Cs and more Hs for a healthier world, strong economic growth, and a secure climate.