Why doesn't the US produce hydrogen from water using heat and electricity from nuclear power?

Answer 1

If the US moves toward a 'hydrogen ecomony', then the utiltiy companies may very well build hydrogen producing plants near nuclear power plants.

The US is a long way from using a hydrogen economy -- we are still stuck in a petroleum economy.

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Answer 2

There's no market. Nuclear plants have ready customers for their electricity. They make sense economically and environmentally for new construction to supply power to the grid. Hydrogen would be most useful as a motor or fuel-cell fuel. It hasn't gotten past the prototype stage for either use and its energy density so far is lower than batteries. It is decades, at least, from common over-the-road use.

Answer 3

The economics are just not right. With a very large increase in oil prices or taxes on oil and subsidies on hydrogen it might start to happen. In any event it could not happen overnight as to be significant immense investment in infrastructure would be required.

Answer 4

the guy above me is right, it take quite a bit more energy to break the H2O in parts via electrolysis. Also there will be little use for hydrogen once we have the flux capacitor. We can just go back in time and encourage dinosaur production.

Answer 5

The US is working on it:
Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative
http://www.ne.doe.gov/NHI/neNHI.html

Answer 6

Because it takes much more energy then the hydrogen it would produce....

Answer 7

Why dont we just use nuclear power? Its clean, safe and lasts forever.

Answer 8

because it is dangerous and they arent going too untill they need to,