Hi Carol, unfortunately I dont have the facts on the Scientific American
article, had to return it to the library. The article was from last spring or summer.

The analysis was fairly exhaustive, since the well to wheels model compares energy loss in every step of the process, but Im sure there are always costs, that are not factored in such as wars and pollution. Definitely hydrogen acquired by electrolysis is far more expensive that re-forming natural gas.

Electricity by windfarms is actually quite competitive except that
the problem - is transporting it from isolated areas to areas that need it.

The biodiesel idea is great, and last spring when I was in the Czech republic pretty much every available field I saw had rapeseed (canola) growing on it for bio-diesel. But there just isnt enough land to supply the required energy needs for biodiesel.