U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Vehicle Technologies Office

Fact #423: May 8, 2006
Opinions on Hydrogen Fueling Stations

About one-quarter of the students and the general public who were surveyed on their knowledge of hydrogen said that they would feel frightened or uneasy about having hydrogen sold at their local gas station. Less than 10% of the two other groups surveyed (State and Local Government officials and potential large-scale end users) indicated that hydrogen at a local station would make them uneasy.

Question: How would you feel if your local gas station sold hydrogen?
Graph showing the results from four groups: the general public, students ages 12 to 17, State and Local Government officials, and potential large-scale end users on their feelings about selling hydrogen at the local gas station. For more detailed information, see the table below.

Supporting Information

Question: How would you feel if your local gas station sold hydrogen?
  Pleased or at ease Frightened or uneasy Don't know / no opinion
General Public 47% 27% 26%
Students (12–17 years old) 37% 28% 35%
State & Local Government Officials 88% 7% 5%
End Users* 74% 3% 23%

* The End Users category includes persons involved with transportation services, businesses needing uninterrupted power supplies, and industries with large power requirements.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Hydrogen Baseline Knowledge Assessment Surveys, 2004.
General public survey, N=889.
Student (ages 12-17 years) survey, N=1,000.
Government officials, N=246.

 

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