It gives me great delight to paraphrase Chris Payne’s movie “Who killed the electric car?” and now “Revenge of the Electric Car” because the answer is {drum roll please…} Nobel Prize winning Physicist and 12th US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu.

“Moving away from funding vehicular hydrogen fuel cells to technologies with more immediate promise” is how Chu described the decision to cut spending on hydrogen development in the 2010 budget announced May 7th.

The complete pdf can be found here. with the highlights of the announcement below.

What does this mean for BEV enthusiasts?

For me, it ends the debate over hydrogen, the writing was on the wall but now it’s being rubber stamped from on high; it means greater attention to working solutions, to greener power sources and to confronting climate change.

... and Top Gear was wrong ;-)

http://www.energy.gov “

Washington D.C. --- U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today detailed President Barack Obama’s $26.4 billion Fiscal Year 2010 budget request for the Department of Energy, highlighting the Administration’s commitment to transformational discoveries, breakthrough science, and innovative technologies in the nation’s effort to secure reliable, clean, safe and secure energy, create new jobs and fight climate change.  While the budget makes important investments in energy independence and job creation, it also cuts back on programs that don’t work as well or are no longer needed.

“The President’s budget for energy reflects his commitment to ending our dependence on foreign oil, restoring our scientific leadership and putting Americans back to work through investments in a new green energy economy,” Secretary Chu said. “It also demonstrates his commitment to using taxpayer dollars wisely – cutting spending on programs we don’t need so we can make strategic investments in our economic future.”

The President’s FY10 budget complements $38.7 billion the Department of Energy will invest as part of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  Specifically, the President’s FY10 budget:

• Cuts funding for programs that aren’t needed or aren’t as effective as other investments – like more than $200 million in oil and gas company research that the companies can and do fund on their own.
• Substantially expands the use of clean, renewable energy sources while improving energy transmission infrastructure.
• Supports the Administration’s goal to develop a smart, strong and secure electricity grid.
• Helps restore America’s leadership in scientific research and innovation – including transformative science that can lead to a new generation of clean energy jobs.
• Makes significant investments in low-emissions plug-in and hybrid vehicles, nuclear energy, and clean coal technologies, as part of the Obama Administration’s aggressive effort to reduce greenhouse gas production.
• Supports the ongoing security of our weapons stockpile, continued efforts at nuclear non-proliferation and ongoing environmental cleanup and legacy management as part of the Department’s long-term stewardship responsibilities.

For more information about the Administration’s fiscal year 2010 budget proposal for the Department of Energy, please visit the Budget and Performance page.”