Editor’s note: The following letter is addressed to Gov. Gray Davis and appears here at the author’s request.

To the editor:

Contrary to what power lobbyists say, there are at least four methods of storing surplus energy for peak power demands.

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1. More hydroelectric dams.

2. Liquid hydrogen made from surplus electricity.

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3. Liquid hydrogen made by windmill-powered plants.

4. Liquid hydrogen made by intermittent solar energy.

Therefore, instead of wasting billions of megawatts made with “surplus” natural gas in Alaska for the experimental military project HARP, oil companies should be making liquid hydrogen for hydrogen-powered automobiles, for hydrogen-powered electrical plants and for the military.

Windmill- or solar-powered refineries could also produce and store liquid hydrogen from sea water, snow or any polluted water source, since wind and sunshine are random and unreliable for peak power electrical demands.

If converting water to hydrogen fuel by electrolysis is not very efficient, it doesn’t matter, since energy from the wind is abundant and surplus hydroelectric power is now being shunted into ground plates to regulate the grid voltage.

James H. Armistead

South Lake Tahoe