Why is the idea of a hydrogen economy so popular? What are the steps to getting there?

One of the main motivations is that scientists, engineers, and politicians see the great promise of hydrogen as a clean fuel, no pollution. That’s the nirvana that everyone’s looking for. Politically, it’s very attractive. A lot of areas in the country have real air quality problems. Something has to be done. Hydrogen may be a solution. It’s just going to take a while. There’s a legitimate case for research and development. There could be a dramatic breakthrough in fuel cell operation. There have already been significant reductions in the fuel cell operating costs because material scientists have been able to reduce the amount of platinum used in fuel cell catalysts.

Hydrogen – Coal of The Future (#2)
– Rajneesh Wadhwa