Will it work this time? Maybe yes, maybe not - it depends on many factors.
One thing is certain, you can't put all eggs in one basked and assume that hydrogen or any other *prospective* technology *will* certainly work, because if it doesn't (and it's quite likely) then you either end up with blackouts (unlikely as nobody can tolerate that) or backup in the dirtiest possible energy generation technology like coal or fossil gas (actually happening).