Hydrogen Technical Advisory Panel 1992-2001: Analysis of a Past Chairman                  NHA Home Page • NHA News Index

Since its inception in 1992, HTAP has had two overarching goals: First, to raise the visibility of hydrogen as a key part of the nation’s energy agenda, and second, to advise DOE on the conduct of its hydrogen R&D; activities. HTAP’s Green Report, and Report to Congress, as well as the HTAP brochure based on the Report to Congress, have helped increase hydrogen awareness. Under the leadership of all its Chairmen, HTAP has sought audiences with congressional representatives and senior DOE managers up to the level of Secretary. The second goal has presented HTAP with a dilemma. Given that HTAP meets only three days a year, how can HTAP satisfactorily advise the formal DOE Hydrogen Program, while at the same time provide broad oversight of hydrogen R&D; activities throughout all of DOE as well as in other Federal agencies? During my tenure HTAP has endeavored to broaden its oversight -- but probably at the expense of advising the formal Hydrogen Program. Under the first chairman, Jim Birk, HTAP developed its well-known long-term vision for hydrogen. Then Jim established a proactive posture for HTAP by assigning tasks to the Panel through forming committees. Under Jim’s chairmanship three committees were formed: an R&D; committee, a ground transportation committee, and an air transportation committee. All three committees published reports with recommendations for R&D; and demonstration projects and budgets.

Pat Takahashi oversaw the incorporation of the three committee reports into the Green Report -- which broadly outlined a 20-year plan for the Hydrogen Program. In addition, Pat established three new HTAP committees: demonstrations, commercialization requirements for hydrogen-fueled vehicles, and hydrogen centers of excellence. Then under Alan Lloyd a strategic directions committee was formed to flesh out the Green Report with more detailed objectives and strategies.

When I became chairman three years ago, we had to suspend the ongoing work of the strategic directions committee in order to address the very high priority task of preparing a comprehensive HTAP Report to Congress, mandated under the Hydrogen Future Act. The process of preparing that report resulted in a reordering of priorities for HTAP, which subsequently led to the formation of the three HTAP committees under my chairmanship: Scenario Planning, Fuel Choice, and Coordination. The scenario planning effort largely substituted for the previous strategic directions committee effort. These committees represent themes that largely dominated HTAP meeting agendas while I was chairman. (Since this article was written, a new HTAP Safety committee, chaired by George Schmauch, has been organized by the new HTAP chairman John O’Sullivan.)

Finally I would like to comment on a few key recommendations in HTAP’s 1998 Report to Congress and on progress toward addressing those recommendations.

Coordination
The HTAP Report to Congress recommended the need for substantial improvement in coordination between the Hydrogen Program and other areas of the DOE and other Federal agencies. HTAP has tried to help by increasing the participation at our meetings of government representatives outside of the Hydrogen Program, and through initiating a survey of hydrogen-related R&D; throughout the Federal government under the leadership of HTAP’s Coordination Committee Chairperson Helena Chum. There is still a need for more formal planning for coordination and for periodic reports on progress.

Visions/Scenarios/Plans
We formed the Scenario Planning Committee, under Hank Wedaa and Mounir Kamal, to develop plausible scenarios and intermediate visions that link the HTAP long-term vision with the short-term plans and individual R&D; projects of the Hydrogen Program. The results serve two purposes: first, to help guide DOE in selecting relevant R&D; and validation projects; and second, to help develop compelling visions of a hydrogen energy future that will promote hydrogen among DOE senior management, the Congress, and the public. Scenario planning is a work in progress that is being continued under the current HTAP chairman John O’Sullivan.

Programmatic Oversight
In the report HTAP made two recommendations to increase oversight of the Hydrogen Program outside of the HTAP meetings. First, to add a program-level review back into the annual R&D; review meetings and second, to have representatives of HTAP participate in periodic management meetings of the Hydrogen Program. We also suggested that National Hydrogen Association representatives participate. The first recommendation has been followed, but the second has not.

Fuel Choice
During an HTAP spring 1999 meeting, we formed the Fuel Choice Committee under Roberta Nichols to help address the issue of direct hydrogen versus other fuels for fuel cell vehicles. At that time, we felt that the deck was stacked against direct hydrogen. DOE was spending more on onboard fuel processors using gasoline or methanol than on direct hydrogen, and industry strongly favored the fuel processor approach -- despite the fact that direct hydrogen provides greater long-term societal benefits.

Later that spring, the Fuel Choice Committee published a brief white paper urging more balanced DOE funding for direct hydrogen and onboard fuel processors. We were planning on following that up with a far more comprehensive white paper, based on holding workshops – when events favorable to direct hydrogen overtook us. Industry and DOE were beginning to take a more serious look at direct hydrogen, and the California Fuel Cell Partnership was formed with a strong focus on direct hydrogen.

Under the leadership of Jim Ohi and Carol Hammel of NREL, we switched gears and redirected our focus to technical, safety, and infrastructure issues relating to hydrogen fueling of direct hydrogen fuel cell vehicles – in an effort to reduce the existing barriers. We call this effort the “Blueprint for Hydrogen Fuel Infrastructure Development,” for which two workshops have been held to date. (Since this article was written in March/April 2001, the current HTAP chairman, John O’Sullivan is considering reconstituting the HTAP Fuel Choice Committee into the Infrastructure Committee.)

Education and Outreach
Over the years, there has been an ebb and flow of interest in education and outreach from the Hydrogen Program. In 1995 the Program undertook a strong industry outreach effort, but it was short-lived. The report encouraged the Program to reinvigorate its industry outreach effort. Unfortunately, except for the publication of an impressive outreach plan and a brief flurry of an outreach project in early FY 2000, I believe that we’ve yet to see a substantial commitment in this area. (As yet there are no Solicitations in this category for FY2002.)

The Report to Congress suggested that some validation projects offer the opportunity for public outreach, and that a public outreach plan be a part of such projects. I continue to advocate that suggestion.

Getting Hydrogen on the National Energy Agenda
At the fall 2000 HTAP meeting, both Bob Dixon and Dick Bradshaw of DOE encouraged HTAP to do more to get hydrogen more squarely on the nation’s energy agenda. As I stated earlier, it has been the goal of every HTAP chairman to do so – but our effectiveness has been partial at best. On HTAP’s part I look to the continuing scenario planning effort to make a meaningful contribution and I’m sure that under John O’Sullivan’s leadership HTAP will identify and take further actions in this area. Moreover, the successful reauthorization of the Hydrogen Future Act will help maintain hydrogen’s legislative visibility.

(The President’s National Energy Policy, released in May 2001, after this article was written, goes a long way towards recognizing hydrogen’s potential. All of us – government, industry, and HTAP – need to work with the momentum that has been created so that hydrogen continues to stay in the Bush Administrations plans.) My time as chairman of was full of challenges for HTAP. I believe that HTAP’s accomplishments during this period have helped advance the cause of hydrogen energy. I’m confident that further valuable progress will be made under the leadership of our new chairman, John O’Sullivan.

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