Joseph J. Romm

For decades, we’ve been promised a high-tech hydrogen economy that never arrives. Yet we continue to pour billions of dollars into hydrogen as part of our low-carbon future. As the window to mitigate climate change narrows, is it time to stop investing in "the fuel of the future?"

In 2003, energy expert Joseph J. Romm wrote The Hype About Hydrogen to explain why hydrogen wasn’t the panacea we were promised—and may never be. In this newly revised and updated edition, Romm builds an even stronger case, explaining the barriers hydrogen faces, from its inefficiency as an energy carrier to the risk of increased global warming from hydrogen leaks. In a series of significant updates, Romm breaks down the latest methods of production, including "green" hydrogen and hydrogen made with nuclear power, and reveals the limitations of suggested applications of hydrogen, including e-fuels and hydrogen cars. The Hype About Hydrogen is essential reading—and a reality check—for anyone who hopes that hydrogen will be a major solution to the climate crisis.