February 11th, 2010
Hydrogen Convergence as Driven by Institutional Investors
Until now, we at the ebTDesign Forum have talked about hydrogen convergence from a retail context. We have talked about the need to protect consumers from radical changes in energy pricing and sustainable job growth. However, a case could be made that hydrogen convergence may more easily be driven by institutional investors.
Institutional investors are the big dollar portfolio managers that control enormous sums of other people’s money. They make investment decisions for banks, insurance companies, and pension plans. They invest in airports and hold municipal bonds. They are also responsible for mitigating the risk. And, it is their need to reduce the risk associated with climate change that we propose will drive their interest in hydrogen convergence.
It really doesn’t matter whether or not institutional investors personally believe in global climate change. They must mitigate the risk posed by natural disasters. While individuals may make investment decisions based solely on public opinion without consequences, institutional investors must make informed decisions and be able to show how they are protecting other people’s money.
Institutional investors must protect all their investments not just the cleantech ones and the best way to do this is via hydrogen convergence. So, portfolio managers must invest in “alternative path” cleantech strategies because they insure the value of future returns. They have to be concerned about business continuity. Be it snowstorms or hurricanes, business must continue to operate or stakeholders will lose and that is the bottom line.
Zachary Alexander
Concepts: alternative path, cleantech, hydrogen, natural disastersFebruary 8th, 2010
Does Obama have Fiduciary Responsibilities for Hydrogen Convergence?
As we awake this morning, there are families still without electricity because of record setting snow fall. This may be an act of God but it is also something that could have been foreseen. The question then becomes does President Barack Obama have a fiduciary responsibility to invest more in hydrogen convergence to alleviate the kind of pain and suffering we saw this weekend.
While electricity maybe unavailable for residents and businesses in the affected areas, they probably still have their Internet access (i.e., once power returns). One of the reasons is because of a design concept called “alternative path.” Literally, this means bringing communications lines into different sides of the building which provides redundancy.
The problem with the Obama administration’s cleantech strategy is that it does not provide for an alternative path. All of the new power generation will enter the home and/or business through the same portal. Hydrogen Convergence is the only cleantech alternative that can bring electricity in through the garage or through the natural gas infrastructure.
What price should the White House put on the pain and suffering caused by natural disasters? How should the Congressional Budget Office accrue for the loss of life due to exposure that could have been prevented by early investment in hydrogen convergence? If President Obama truly believes in the threat of climate change then why would he oppose hydrogen infrastructure that could protect working and middle class families?
Zachary Alexander
Concepts: alternative path, electricity, hydrogen, Internet, natural disasters