Putting it together into a comprehensive plan

Getting to the next level must mean a comprehensive plan for domestic energy security.  It must be politically acceptable, or it won't achieve the goal.

So, I have tried to cobble together a plan that could satisfy people on all sides of the political spectrum.  Or so I think.  It could satisfy those who would prefer to end dependence upon fossil fuels on the account of its alleged deleterious effects on climate.  It could satisfy those who are concerned about national security.  It could also mean a new industry that could provide jobs for millions.

So, what's it all about?

First, the liquid fuels problem needs to be solved.  In order to do this, a substitute for the current system must be found.  It must be cost competitive with current systems and it must be capable of replacing the current system.  Such a system may look like something I wrote about previously.  It would look something like a Ford HySeries vehicle that would be a hybrid of fuel cells and batteries.

Obtaining the hydrogen fuel could come from pyrolysis of switchgrass.  Looking this up, I found a company in Canada that does something similar.  Dynamotive produces drop-in biofuels from biomass.  As opposed to do drop-in fuels for the current system, you could just make biomethanol ( one of their byproducts to their process ) and use this to make biohydrogen at the point of sale.  The biohydrogen can be obtained from reforming the biomethanol at the point of sale.  Therefore, obtaining the necessary hydrogen need not be the obstacle it is often portrayed to be.  Devices that can do the reforming of hydrocarbons for hydrogen already exist and are small enough to be put on a vehicle and demonstrated.

Switchgrass can grow on marginal farmlands and does not need to consume food supplies, as the current system does with bioethanol.  The potential exists to produce all the liquid fuels we need from this source of fuel.

Switchgrass made into biofuels can be carbon negative.  Fuel cells produce no carbon emissions.  Thus, the entire process is carbon negative and has the added benefit of improving soils while sequestering carbon.

The main barrier remaining is the cost of making such a vehicle.  You can lower the price of fuel cells by obtaining platinum for the low temperature catalysts from asteroids.

In turn, space travel costs have to come down.  There are those working on that problem, which can be solved, in my opinion.