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hydrail: Hydrogen trains picking up steam?

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Gas at its highest level ever in Charlotte not to mention long lines and some stations running out.  But we have a story about an energy source not tied to oil and won't be disrupted by hurricanes.

We're talking about hydrogen.

The Holy Grail in energy research is perfecting a cheap hydrogen fuel because it's literally as plentiful as water.

Cars powered by hydrogen have taken center stage this summer.

Nine major car manufacturers part of a caravan that toured the country stopped here in Charlotte and other college campuses.

But while cars have gained all the attention it could be trains that really take off.

You know the Wright Brothers.  First in flight.  Kitty Hawk - 1903.

These two men, Stan Thompson and Bill Thunberg, want North Carolina to be first in the next generation of energy - hydrogen.

Together with other leaders in Mooresville they're working to bring the country's first hydrogen-powered train to this old railroad town north of Charlotte.

"This is going to change the way the whole world is shaped," says Thompson.

According to Thunberg, "We wanted to create an energy business in North Carolina."

Hydrogen is a gas and comes in many forms.  Water one of them.

Remember science class, the makeup of water H2O?

So where do you get hydrogen? One way is through electricity and water. You put two conductors into a container of water and apply current. Hydrogen comes off one conductor. Oxygen comes off the other. The hydrogen can then be captured and used as fuel.

NASA's used hydrogen to power spacecraft since the 60s.

Today, hydrogen is being tested in buses.

In 2002, a company in Denver built the first hydrogen-powered train.

But hydrogen is costly to extract, bulky to store and right now there's no infrastructure for fueling.

But large vehicles like trains work better they say because the locomotives can carry large hydrogen storage tanks.

Thompson and Thunberg are trying to position Mooresville to be ready when the technology for storing hydrogen safely is there.

Stan Thompson of the Hydrogen Economy Advancement Team (H.E.A.T.) says, "The reason we want it here is we hope to become a business the place there they manufacture these things."

Thompson himself has written articles on the subject and coined the term Hydrail.. for hydrogen powered railways.

Charlotte Area Transit is considering building a commuter train line from Center City to Mooresville.. these two want it to be a "train of the future".

Could it be something like this?  The first passenger train in the U.S. powered by hydrogen fuel cells?

Mooresville Mayor Bill Thunberg and a member of H.E.A.T. says, "I think the opportunity is great. Now is the time for leaders in the region and industry in the region to claim that opportunity."

They've organized a group"Hydrogen Economy Advancement Team" and have brought like-minded hydrogen advocates from all over the world to the area for conferences.  One is planned for next summer here in Charlotte.

Their goal is to turn the region into a center for the development of hydrogen technology.

They're making contacts with influential people involved in hydrogen from all over the world

The world's first hydrail streetcar manufacturer has approached Mooresville as a plant site.