Water law problems of solar hydrogen production

Journal Article · Sat Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1978 · Nat. Resour. J.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6521031

Eisenstadt, M M

It will be necessary for water sources to be established during the planning stages of a solar-fueled hydrogen economy because of the costly equipment needed to handle fresh or brackish water. Solar energy can be used to produce either the heat or electricity that decomposes water to produce hydrogen, which serves as an energy-storage medium that is clean, easily piped and used, and produces water as a combustion product. Hydrogen could be produced in the Southwest and Florida when solar conditions are good and the hydrogen stored in abandoned wells and aquifers until demand is highest. The legal and environmental implications of hydrogen production facilities using surface water where water supplies are short focus on precedents for establishing ownership of water rights and the reduction of agriculture that would result. The use of brackish groundwater or seawater would require distillation facilities and would also entail economic and legal problems. Resolution of the water requirements for a coal gasification plant in New Mexico will test the feasibility of the hydrogen economy concept.

• OSTI ID: 6521031
• Journal Information: Nat. Resour. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Nat. Resour. J.; (United States) Vol. 18:3; ISSN NRJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

08 HYDROGEN
080100 -- Hydrogen-- Production
080900 -- Hydrogen-- Environmental Aspects
14 SOLAR ENERGY
140505 -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photochemical
Photobiological
& Thermochemical Conversion-- (1980-)
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290400 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Resources
295000* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Hydrogen & Synthetic Fuels
299001 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Solar-- (1989-)
ABANDONED WELLS
AQUIFERS
CONVERSION
ENERGY CONVERSION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FUELS
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN PRODUCTION
LEGAL ASPECTS
OWNERSHIP
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANNING
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
RESOURCES
SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION
STATE GOVERNMENT
STORAGE
WATER
WATER REQUIREMENTS
WATER RESOURCES
WATER RIGHTS
WELLS