Most important, BG's program provides a model for a rolling changeover to alternative fuels that is profitable at every stage for a complete mobility service provider. Governments and institutions have been studying alternative transportation fuels to reduce emissions and world dependence on a few petroleum exporting regions. These studies rarely address the opportunity for a new energy infrastructure in homes, buildings and manufacturing operations that parallels that for vehicles. The same hydrogen fuel cell technology that is aimed at vehicles is quickly being adopted for reliable electrical generation in buildings. By 2001 experimental new homes and buildings will be generating their own electricity and heat with fuel cells running on hydrogen fuel reformed' from natural gas.
Natural gas is viewed as the transition fuel to a renewable hydrogen economy.
In the near term the natural gas distribution network, already in place, will supply the raw material for production of hydrogen. Eventually, natural gas will be superceded by more efficient renewable sources of hydrogen, like, photovoltaics, biomass and solar thermal technologies. Tomorrow, the federal government or a large oil company could roll over and decide to invest the billions necessary to bring hydrogen fuel to corner gas stations throughout the country, making the transition to hydrogen fuel occur within a few years. The final section of the bridge takes us to the hydrogen economy with Hydrogen Fuel and Fuel Cell powerplants for vehicles. For inquiries about RMI see General Information Inquiries .