Welcome to Volume 5, Issue 21 of Currents. This week, we take a look at hydrogen, nuclear, cyber security, renewable energy storage, and the latest in the coal industry.

How An Old Power Plant Is Being Refitted For The Hydrogen Economy

"It will use petroleum coke and biomass to produce hydrogen for power."

Why this is important: Wabash Valley Resources LLC and Honeywell UOP are undertaking a project in West Terre Haute, Indiana, to convert the Wabash River Generating Station, previously a 972.7 MW coal-fired power station, to produce hydrogen for power. It will use petroleum coke and biomass to produce hydrogen, and it also will capture and sequester the resulting CO2. The energy likely will be sold to power generators and chemical makers. The project has received both federal funding and federal tax credits. It is estimated that the "hydrogen economy" will generate hundreds of billions in annual revenues and create significant numbers of jobs during the next 10 years. Critics state there are better uses for development resources and attention needs to be placed on "green hydrogen" made from wind and solar. Supporters of the project state that Indiana does not have a lot of wind and solar and this project is important to meet the country's CO2 reduction targets. What is definitely clear is that hydrogen energy projects in many forms are not just a future goal, but are happening now.