In your Jan. 19 issue, Thomas Wyman argues that, because “it simply takes more energy to extract hydrogen from water using electrolysis or to extract it from methane using steam reformation than can be obtained from the subsequent use of the extract hydrogen as a fuel…the pursuit of the hydrogen economy brings to mind the age-old search for the perpetual motion machine” (OGJ, Jan. 19, 2009, p. 14).Mr. Wyman is ignoring the remainder of the fuel cycle. Obtaining hydrogen from natural gas is 65-75% efficient, so we start by throwing away 25-35% of the energy in the natural gas. For use as a vehicle fuel, both natural gas and hydrogen must be transported and compressed int...