Why hydrogen? Mother Nature made a simple fuel in hydrogen. It burns with oxygen in the air to produce water, is not harmful to release into the environment, and there are no byproducts.

"In fact, the water that comes out of fuel cells is normally very pure," Arduengo says. "The Apollo space program used fuel cells for power, and the water produced from the fuel cells was used as drinking water by the astronauts in space."

Energy from hydrogen is produced in a simple chemical reaction. Chemically combined in a fuel cell with oxygen, electrical energy is produced, harnessed and can be used to power an electric motor or other electrical device. Hydrogen can also be burned in air in the conventional sense to produce heat. No other fuel offers the flexibility of hydrogen.

The United States has natural resources that can be used to produce hydrogen, and the use of these resources will make the country less dependent on foreign oil. In that way, the use of hydrogen as a fuel has significant national security implications.

Gasoline use comes with danger signs and warnings, and while the world has decided it is worth the risks, the use of hydrogen could provide fewer dangers. In addition, the nation imports enormous amounts of hydrocarbon-based fuels.

"If you can imagine a gasoline spill, it spills onto the ground and spreads out," Arduengo says. "If, in the process of that spill, there were to be an accident that caused it to inflame — because gasoline is a heavier-than-air material — it will burn in the same spot and expose people and equipment to that flame and heat.

"Hydrogen, on the other hand, is a lighter-than-air gas," he continued. "So, when it is released it tends to move up into the atmosphere and away from individuals on the ground. The chances of ignition are reduced, and, if it does ignite, hydrogen is lighter than air and is moving away from the accident or spill."