The UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS-Davis) hosted the ninth biennial conference on transportation and energy, The Hydrogen Transition , from July 29 to August 1, 2003.

More than 200 leaders and experts from academia, government and industry gathered to discuss the possibility of a transportation sector “hydrogen transition.” The goal of the conference was not to design or advocate for such a transition, but rather to address key questions about the steps necessary for a transition to occur, and to explore whether such a transition is likely, needed, or even possible.

In addition to tackling the many issues that factor into a hydrogen future, participants examined lessons learned from the past 25 years, and discussed whether hydrogen is any different from our previous experiences. Sessions also covered hydrogen infrastructure and markets, the business case for a hydrogen transition, policy options and instrument, and the bigger picture—beyond hydrogen to greenhouse gas emissions and reduced oil use.

Members of the Transportation Research Board's Transportation Energy and Alternative Fuels committees organized the event.

A CD-ROM of the conference presentations is available for purchase from ITS-Davis. The cost is $40.00. Please contact the ITS-Davis Event Coordinator at itsconference@ucdavis.edu for further details.

In 2004, Elsevier Press will publish The Hydrogen Transition, a book based on the talks presented at the conference. Dan Sperling and James Cannon are the book's editors. Conference participants will be mailed a complimentary copy. To purchase a copy, please contact the ITS-Davis Event Coordinator at itsconference@ucdavis.edu.

ITS-Davis will host the tenth biennial conference on transportation and energy from August 23 to August 26, 2005. The conference will be held at the Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, CA. Please contact the ITS-Davis Event Coordinator at itsconference@ucdavis.edu for further details.