Originally published June 30 2005
Hydrogen research may power area job growth
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
South Carolina could get $3.8 billion in federal funding for hydrogen fuel research at Clemson University, the University of South Carolina and the Savannah River Site, according to a FuelCellsWorks article.
Hydrogen fuel research at Clemson University's automotive research park in Greenville, the Savannah River Site and the University of South Carolina put the state at the front of the line for $3.8 billion in proposed federal funding and the jobs that come with it.
Lindsey Graham said the money will lead to cutting-edge research and, over time, private investment and what he described as "some of the best jobs of the 21st century" in the state.
Splitting water molecules to produce hydrogen, for instance, requires large amounts of energy, and most hydrogen produced today comes from the same fossil fuels it would replace, according to Clemson chemical engineering professor Mark Thies.
"Some of this money is going to be directed to South Carolina because I'm in a good spot to do that in the Senate," Graham said Monday during an appearance with U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis of Greenville to talk about the research money.
A version that passed the House didn't include the funding, but Graham said he and Inglis are hoping it will be part of the compromise bill that emerges from a conference committee.
Congress and the Bush administration are looking to hydrogen as a possible means of reducing the nation's dependence on Mideast oil.
The state's competitive advantages, he said, include ICAR, which will focus on automotive "systems integration," a category that might include figuring out how to fit a hydrogen fuel system with other automotive systems.
Other South Carolina advantages, Bodde said, are the Savannah River Site, a former nuclear bomb plant turned national laboratory, with capabilities in handling and storing hydrogen.
Developing hydrogen-powered automobiles could also go a long way in solving the problems of carbon-dioxide emissions and global warming, said Bodde, who also has a doctorate from Harvard Business School.
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