Despite its failure to reach its envisaged goals, the programme did develop coal-gasification technologies that paved the way for highly efficient integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) coal power plants which were deployed around the world from the 1990s. Annual production in the United States from 1971 to 2003 increased more than 10-fold and production costs were reduced by a factor of 5, without any subsidies and despite the material challenges associated with handling hydrogen (Ausubel, 2007). A hydrogen pipeline is being operated between Louisiana and Texas, and some are considering the old idea of mixing hydrogen into the national natural gas pipeline system. As noted earlier, more than half of all cumulative energy-related public RD&D support in IEA countries since 1974 has been for nuclear power technologies.