Hydrogen can, in fact, be created in a way that doesn't consume more energy than the hydrogen is worth. We've known forever that electrolyzing water is not the way to go, yet people still fixate on this method for some reason. High-pressure membrane processes have been developed that basically squeeze water apart and then separate the hydrogen from the oxygen. It's energetically favorable, but the membranes are horribly expensive and fragile. Steam-reforming of methane is also excellent for making hydrogen, though it still relies on fossil fuel. Hydrogen can even be produced through coal gasification.
Point: there's more than one way to skin a cat.
