Wind is a significant renewable energy source in Patagonia, which could generate a very large amount of electrical energy. However, it is not possible to put such a large amount of energy on to the grid due to instability issues. Electrolysis could facilitate the storage of such energy in the form of hydrogen, which could be used for peak power production or for vehicles. However, hydrogen storage and distribution are still very expensive. On the other hand, South Patagonia has reserves of coal whose exploitation is not easy. One solution could be underground coal gasification. Unfortunately using coal results in high emissions of carbon dioxide. Hydrogen from wind energy could be the solution to convert coal to methane and to eventually generate electrical power. In this way, a large amount of renewable energy could be introduced to the energy system with a reduction in the emissions of carbon dioxide. Copyright (C) 2012, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.