Huge amounts of electrical energy are generated in the atmosphere, Long conductor lines can get energy from the earths magnetic field even in space. Geothermal energy is boundless, solar energy is tremendous when a few acres are involved. The wind in some locals is a source of energy (Europe is going for this big time, although it will chop up some birds.)
The problem with all these energies is the cost to extract and deliver. Hydrogen is a useful idea, and may be a delivery system someday. But energy will continue to be extraced and delivered by the most economical system, and the renewable sources are still priced out of the market today. This may not always be the case, but it is now and this article simply tries to bring this concept to the media. The answer is that we will rely on petroleum products for the rest of our lifetimes, (except in small isolated cases). This is not so bad, future generations may see more use of the other sources. The one I favor is nuclear fission generation, all you need to do is take some of the desert that you might use for solor generation and put a waste facility there.
Personally, I think it's way overdue that we tap into the vast amount of energy wasted each day from liberal hot air. Just think how efficient a wind farm would be in Washington D.C..