Yes, that is the reason people are experimenting with ammonia as an easy to transport hydrogen equivalent that can be easily converted to hydrogen (and nitrogen) when hydrogen is used.
Locomotive manufacturers continue to explore alternatives including natural gas. Thatās EMD formerly part of GM now owned by Caterpillar and GE which sold it locomotive business to Wabtec (a spinoff from Westinghouse).
Experimental natural gas locomotives are being tested as are electric battery locomotives. But so far the electrics are part of a diesel set that stores surplus energy in dynamic braking that otherwise goes to resistors that create waste heat.
As with electric planes, electric locomotive are probably feasible local use as in yard switching. And maybe local pickup and delivery. Railroads are probably best suited to carry heavy batteries (as in tenders) but could also carry other fuels like hydrogen. Fuel cell locomotives should be possible but so far Iāve seen no reports of them.
And notice that ocean going ships are also looking into carbon alternatives. Like locomotives they are mostly diesel electric these days. Vessels are being built to try out ammonia and methanol as fuels. So far Iāve seen no discussion of battery powered electrics. They probably can carry the weight. But the batteries required wil probably be huge.
Not to mention the problem of finding a place to plug in in the middle of the oceanā¦
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From time to time, I have referenced official US govt data about carbon sources, and noted that converting power generation and home and commercial heating, to carbon free sources, would be a lot easier, and reduce carbon emissions more, than trying to make transportation carbon free. But no, everyone chooses the most difficult conversion, as if they were trying to set up the entire program to fail.
Steve
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Maybe you havenāt noted the push for wind and solar for power generation, along with batteries to time shift when they are available to when the power is needed?
Nuclear would be a choice as well but there is a big lobby against it.
As for heating, the IRA bill provides credits for heat pumps which are generally much more efficient than heating oil and NG.
Mike
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One-upmanship?
The Captain
Because the turnover in vehicles is faster than in building stock?
DB2
Start with the low hanging fruit!
The Captain
An airliner gets hit by lightning somewhere on average of once a day and continues flying, nearly always without a blip. The fuel doesnāt ignite, and usually (not always) the electronics arenāt damaged. I wonder if that would be true if the plane was all-electric and what contingencies would be if the electronics were seriously damaged. (Of course that wouldnāt be unique to electric planes, just that a petro-jet would have fewer electronics (per capita weight) to deal with or hold charge.)
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You donāt know? Fried electronics! If it flew into a bunch of geese you could have them for lunch.
Le Chef
Outside of California, is anyone talking about a straight up ban on combustion kitchen ranges, or furnaces, or water heaters?
Are utility companies still building nat gas fired generation? Is anyone enacting a ban on carbon fueled generation?
Steve
https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/03/us/new-york-natural-gas-ban-climate/index.html
Since June [2019], a dozen cities have banned natural gas equipment in new buildings. Berkeley, California, was the first, followed in the state by San Jose, Mountain View, Santa Rosa and Brisbane. A half-dozen other cities have passed laws to strongly encourage all-electric construction without banning fossil fuels outright.
On the East Coast, Brookline, Massachusetts, in November became the first city in the state to ban new gas hookups. Dozens of other cities, from Cambridge and Newton in Massachusetts to Seattle, are considering similar bans.
Montreal to ban use of gas in most new buildings starting next year
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/montreal-to-ban-use-of-gas-in-most-new-buildings-starting-next-year/ar-AA1iQglO
DB2
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You have to start with what is possible and go from there. Wind and solar are now about ~20% of US electricity production, up from close to zero 20 years ago. But it still has taken 20 years to get here. You have to keep the lights on in the mean time somehow.
Even in California, there are no straight up bans on gas appliances. The bans only apply to new construction. They canāt force you to replace your old stuff.
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Looking just at electricity generation, the percent share of low carbon fuels (nuclear, hydro, wind, solar) peaked in the world back in 1995 at 36%.
That was over 25 years ago. Running in placeā¦
DB2
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The decision marks an abrupt departure from the mayorās recent statements, delivered in press conferences and radio interviews, that the city intended to participate in the program and lead by example.
Wu said, āit breaks my heart,ā but that the city was not applying for the state program because it appears it was not actually intended for a city as complex as Boston, with its large population and already-strained electric grid.
DB2
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