Xcel Energy and the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)has a pilot facility that uses electricity from wind turbines to power electrolyzes to produce hydrogen, which is then compressed and stored at 3,500 psi.
Today we begin using our cleanest source of electricity—wind power—to create the perfect fuel: hydrogen. Converting wind energy to hydrogen means that it doesn’t matter when the wind blows since its energy can be stored on-site in the form of hydrogen.By marrying wind turbines to hydrogen production, we create a synergy that systematically reduces the drawbacks of each. Intermittent wind power is converted to a stored fuel that can be used anytime, while at the same time offering a totally climate-friendly way to retrieve hydrogen, to power our homes and possibly cars in the future.
—Richard Kelly, Xcel Energy chairman, president and CEO
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/12/xcel_and_nrel_u.html
Hydrogen becomes a "battery" storing its energy. When it is released, there is no pollution. One of the major hurtles of producing hydrogen is not creating pollution in the process.
The beauty of a hydrogen producing wind farm is that the investment is in technology. The raw energy (wind) is free and aside from wastes by producing components, there are no emissions.
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