"The FreedomCar Initiative is attractive because it's seemingly a magical high-tech solution," Keith said. "But solutions should be problem-driven, and there are more cost-effective solutions for many of these serious environmental and energy security problems we face." Keith noted that if the administration really wanted to, existing technology could be used to make large improvements in fuel economy and emissions today. While hydrogen may have a place as a transportation fuel many years from now, Keith believes there are other options, and argues that the government would be foolish to pick a winner prematurely.

Keith and Farrell first began working on hydrogen when Farrell was a faculty member in Carnegie Mellon's Department of Engineering and Public Policy. This department in the engineering school addresses problems in technology and public policy in which the technical details are critically important.

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Contact: Chriss Swaney
swaney@andrew.cmu.edu
412-268-5776
Carnegie Mellon University
30-Jul-2003