Research Presented at Conferences and Current Research
2022 Conference Materials
28th World Gas Conference
Daegu, Korea, 23-27 May 2022
Panel, 26 May: Industry Insights: II12 Cleaner Energy: Which Role will New Gases like Hydrogen, Biogas or Syngas Play in the Future ?
Pipelining Hydrogen: Why ? Gas or Liquid ? Blend with NatGas or High-purity ? Continental Scale ? Repurpose Old Pipes or New-Build ? Free “Packing” Storage ? Salt Cavern storage access ?
Presentation: PDF
Paper: PDF
2022 Research
Estimated Total Fuel Consumption for Juneau Cruise Ships, Summer 2022
20 October 2022
DRAFT analysis for model validation pending actual or estimated fuel consumption, by ship, to be requested from the cruise ship companies to improve the accuracy, relevance, and usefulness of this model.
DRAFT Analysis: EXCEL file
2021 Research
MEMO to the advisory boards of two research projects modestly co-funded by The Leighty Foundation
20 October 2020
A Systems Analysis of the Future Role of Hydrogen in a Carbon-neutral California, before 2050
Full Document: PDF
350 Juneau
Juneau, Alaska 16 April 2021
Could Hydrogen Help Us Operate Juneau entirely on CO2-emission-free Energy? How?
Presentation: PDF
Colorado Hydrogen Network
HydrogenNowCast, with Brian DeBruine 19 January 2021
Episode 19: Hydrogen Pipelines and Geothermal Energy. An interview with Bill Leighty of The Leighty Foundation about hydrogen pipelines and new linepipe for safe hydrogen gathering, transmission, free storage, and distribution. We also discuss deep hot dry rock geothermal (DHDRG) as a future benign, ubiquitous, inexhaustible, baseload energy source.
Presentation: Podcast
2021 European Fuel Cell Forum (EFCF)
American Solar Energy Society (ASES)
H-Tec Education Solar-Hydrogen demonstrator "Junior Basic"
Juneau, Alaska 6 August 2021
User suggestions for new model of the H-Tec Solar-Hydrogen demonstrator “Junior Basic”: Tall towers on magnetic bases for easy assembly; visible and dramatic bubbles; includes transport case.
MEMO to Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Office (HFTO) for DOE Request for Information (RFI) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) # 2529
Juneau, Alaska 6 August 2021
Hydrogen Demonstrations in Support of DOE’s Hydrogen Energy Earthshot “1-1-1”
Full Document: PDF
2019-2018-2017 Conference Materials
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) International Mechanical Engineering Conference and Exposition (IMECE)
North America Smart Energy Week: Solar Power, Energy Storage, Hydrogen & Fuel Cell, Microgrid
Humanity’s urgent responsibility, and enormous business opportunity, is nothing less than near-total decarbonization and de-GHG-emission — of the entire human enterprise. Attempting this entirely via electricity systems, “The Grid”, as large and as smart as we may make it, may be technically and economically suboptimal–and its expansion too slow.
Deep Decarbonization of TotaL Global Energy: Hydrogen and Ammonia C-free Fuels versus Electricity as Integrated CO2-emission-free Energy Systems
Presentation: PDF
Poster A: Decarbonization of Total Global Energy PDF
Poster B: Transforming Wind and Solar to Hydrogen Fuel Production PDF
Solar Power International 2018 including Energy Storage International; Hydrogen & Fuel Cells North America
International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition 2018 (IMECE 2018), ASME
Electricity systems will probably be inadequate, and may be technically and economically suboptimal vis-a-vis hydrogen and/or ammonia systems, for the urgent challenge of transforming the world’s largest industry from ~85% fossil to ~100% renewable, CO2-emission free energy sources, as quickly as we prudently and profitably can.
Deep Decarbonization of Total Global Energy: Hydrogen and Ammonia C-free Fuels versus Electricity as Integrated CO2-emission-free (CEF) Energy Systems
Presentation: PDF (15 MB)
NH3 Fuel Association 2017 - American Institute of Chemical Engineering (AIChE)
NH3 Energy: Enabling Optimized, Sustainable Energy and Agriculture
Ammonia Renewable Energy Fuel Systems at Continental Scale: Transmission, Storage, and Integration for Deep Decarbonization of the World’s Largest Industry at Lower Cost than as Electricity
Presentation: PDF (6 MB)
Poster: PDF (570 kB)
Electric Utility Environment Conference (EUEC)
A Bigger Market for Renewables than Electricity for the Grid: Hydrogen and Ammonia Transportation Fuels
Presentation: PDF (10.8 MB)
World Hydrogen Energy Conference 2016
Session 3: Countries Strategies, Associations, Assessments
A Larger Market for Renewables than the Electricity Grid: Hydrogen Fuel for Transportation and CHP
Presentation: PDF (13.3 MB)
Windpower 2016
New Orleans, LA 22-26 May 2016
Poster A: Bigger Market than Electricity Grid? Wind-source Hydrogen Fuel for California Transportation and Combined Heat and Power (CHP)
Poster A: Backside-REV-7Jun16
Poster B: Converting a 13-turbine California Windplant to Hydrogen Fuel Production Without Electricity Grid Connection: R & D and Demonstration
Windpower 2015
Session 8B: The “Mostly Wind” Grid–Implications for Reliability, Markets, and Storage
Alternatives to Electricity for Transmission, Firming Storage, and Integration of GW-scale Wind and Solar via Hydrogen and Ammonia Pipelines
Presentation: PDF (11.2 MB)
Juneau World Affairs Council
Arresting Climate Change: Transforming the World’s Largest Industry
Presentation: PDF (30.1 MB)
Article, Windtech-International
Alternatives to Electricity for Transmission, Storage, and Integration of Renewable Energy: Using Hydrogen and Ammonia Fuels via Underground Pipelines, with Storage for < $1.00 kWh Capex
Article: PDF (695 kB)
Fuel Cell Seminar and Energy Exposition Featuring Hydrogen Fuel
Los Angeles, 10-13 November 2014
Alternatives to Electricity for Transmission, Storage, and Integration of Stranded Renewables: Hydrogen and Ammonia for Transportation and CHP Fuel
Presentation: PDF (16 MB)
Ammonia Fuel Association, Eleventh Annual Meeting
Des Moines, Iowa, 21-24 September 2014
NH3 from Renewable-source Electricity, Water, and Air: Technology Options and Economics Modeling
Presentation: PDF (6 MB)
Joint Conference on Artificial Photosynthesis
The Royal Society, Chicheley Hall, Milton Keynes, UK, 8-10 July 2014
“Do we need a global artificial photosynthesis project (GAP), for solar fuels and chemicals?”
What Shall We Do with All that Photohydrogen?
Presentation: PDF (15.4 MB)
ASME Energy Sustainability and Fuel Cell Science
Boston, 30 June – 2 July 2014
Running the World on Renewables: Emulating the Natural Gas Industry For Gathering and Transmission,
Annual-scale Storage, Distribution and End-use, Using Hydrogen and Ammonia Fuels
Presentation: PDF (16 MB)
TechConnect World 2014, Innovation Conference & Expo
Washington, DC, 15-19 June 2014
Low-cost Transmission, Storage, and Integration for Renewable-source Energy: Hydrogen and Ammonia C-free Fuel Systems with Underground Pipelines, Salt Caverns, and Liquid Ammonia Tanks
Paper: PDF (480 kB)
REvision2014: Global Energy Turnarounds and Japan’s Path World Smart Energy Week,
Tokyo, 26-28 February 2014
Memo to Delegates: Running the World on Renewables: Alternatives to Electricity for Gathering and Transmission, Annual-scale Firming Storage, and Integration of Diverse, Stranded, Renewable Energy (RE) Resources
Memo to Delegates: Tokyo-JREF-WSEW Feb 23, 2014
PowerGen International, RE World
Orlando, FL, 12-14 November 2013
Panel, Microgrids Off-grid and On: The Alaska Renewable-Source Ammonia Fuel Pilot Plant: Village Energy Independence, Firming Storage, and Renewables Export
Best Paper Award, Utility Integration / Smart Grid track
Paper: PDF (663 kB)
Presentation: PDF (7.1 MB)
Memo to delegates: PDF (37 kB)
Santa Clara University, Engineering Department Energy Club
Santa Clara, CA, 22 October 2013
Running the World on Renewables: Energy Sustainability with God on our side?
Presentation: PDF (25.9 MB)
22nd World Energy Congress
Daegu, Korea, 13-17 October 2013. World Energy Council
Expert Forum Paper 689, 14 October: Renewable Energy Bulk Storage for less than $1.00 / kWh Capital Cost as Gaseous Hydrogen (GH2) and Liquid Anhydrous Ammonia (NH3) Carbon-free Fuels, with Transmission via Underground Pipelines
Paper: PDF (404 kB)
Presentation: PDF (7.4 MB)
Memo to fellow delegates: PDF (37 kB)
AAAS Arctic Science Conference
Kodiak, Alaska, 26-28 September 2013
Presentation: “Protecting the Arctic by Running the World on Renewables: Alternatives for Transmission and Low-cost Firming Storage of Stranded Renewables as Hydrogen and Ammonia Fuels”
Presentation: PDF (15.7 MB)
ASME Power Conference
Boston, MA, 29 July – 1 August 2013
Renewable Energy Bulk Storage for < $1.00 / kWh Capital Cost as Gaseous Hydrogen (GH2) and Liquid Anhydrous Ammonia (NH3) C-free Fuels
Paper: POWER2013-98294 PDF (790 kB)
Presentation: PDF (7.4 MB)
Alaska’s Renewable-source Fuel Energy Storage Pilot Plant: Toward Community Energy Independence via Solid State Ammonia Synthesis (SSAS)
Paper: POWER2013-98290 PDF (686 kB)
Presentation: PDF (8.2 MB)
IEEE-PES-GM (Power and Energy Society General Meeting)
Vancouver, BC, Canada, 22-26 July 2013
Energy and Water: Essential, Interdependent Commodities and Strategies
Composite of five panelists’ presentations: PDF (14.2 MB)
Hydrogen + Fuel Cells 2013
Vancouver, BC, Canada, 16-19 June 2013 Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association
Running the World on Renewables: Alternatives to Electricity for Transmission and Low-cost Firming Storage of
Stranded Renewables as Hydrogen and Ammonia Fuels via Underground Pipelines
Presentation: PDF (10.6 MB)
Alaska’s Solid State Ammonia Synthesis Pilot Plant (SSAS-PP) Demonstration System for Renewable Energy (RE)
Firming Storage, Transmission, and Export
Presentation: PDF (7.8 MB)
World Renewable Energy Forum
Denver, CO, 13 – 17 May 2012
Energy Generation, Distribution, & Transportation Running the World on Renewables: Alternatives to Electricity for Transmission, Firming Storage, and Supply Integration of Large-scale, Stranded, Renewable Energy
Presentation: (composite of six panelists), PDF (5.6 MB)
19th World Hydrogen Energy Conference
Toronto, Canada, 3 – 8 June 2012
Alternatives to Electricity for Transmission, Firming Storage, and Supply Integration for Diverse, Stranded, Renewable Energy Resources: Gaseous Hydrogen and Anhydrous Ammonia Fuels via Underground Pipelines
Paper: PDF (1.5 MB)
Presentation: PDF (11 MB)
NH3 Fuel Association Annual Meeting
San Antonio, TX, 30 September – 3 October 2012
Comparing Fuels For Energy Transmission, Storage, and Integration
Presentation: PDF (4.4 MB)
Low Carbon Earth Summit and New Energy Forum
Guangzhou, China, 19-21 October 2012
Running the World on Renewables: Alternatives to Electricity for Transmission, Firming Storage, and Supply Integration of Diverse, Stranded Renewables at GW Scale
Presentation: PDF (9.8 MB)
Solving Renewable Energy’s Transmission, Firming Storage, and Supply Integration Problems: Alternatives to Electricity for Diverse, Stranded, Renewables at GW Scale
Presentation: PDF (11 MB)
ASME-IMECE – American Society of Mechanical Engineers, International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition
Houston, TX, 9 – 15 November 2012
Running the World on Renewables: Alternatives for Transmission and Low-cost Firming Storage of Stranded Renewables as Hydrogen and Ammonia Fuels via Underground Pipelines
Video: https://vimeo.com/208132918 22 minutes
Paper: PDF (1 MB)
Presentation: PDF (12 MB)
Low Carbon Earth Summit 2011
Dalian, PR China, 19-26 October 11
Low-cost, Large-scale, Firming Storage for Stranded Renewables in Hydrogen Transmission Pipelines and Solution-mined Salt Caverns
Alternatives to Electricity for Transmission and Low-cost Firming Storage of Stranded Renewable Energy as Pipelined Hydrogen and Ammonia Fuels
Presentation: PPT (33 MB)
International Gas Union Research Conference 2011
Seoul, Korea, 19-21 October 11
Alternatives to Electricity for Transmission and Low-cost Firming Storage of Large-scale, Stranded, Renewable Energy as Pipelined Hydrogen and Ammonia Carbon-free Fuels
Paper: PDF, A4 page format, (1.5 MB)
Paper: PDF, letter page format, (1.5 MB)
Poster: PDF (10 MB)
Stanford Reunion Class of ’65 Panel
Stanford, CA, 22 Oct 10
Risks and Responses to Global Climate Change
Video: https://vimeo.com/142700207
Use the timeline scroll bar to 23:30 min for Bill Leighty’s 15 min intro presentation.
Presentation: PDF (4.5 MB)
Seventh Annual Ammonia Fuel Conference, NH3 Fuel Association
Detroit, MI, 27 September 10
Making Ammonia Fuel From Alaska’s Abundant Stranded Renewable Energy
Presentation: PDF (5.2 MB)
IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting
Minneapolis, MN, 25-29 July 10
Alternatives to Electricity for GW-scale Transmission and Firming Storage for Diverse, Stranded Renewables: Hydrogen and Ammonia
Paper: PDF (769 kB)
ASME Power (American Society of Mechanical Engineers)
Chicago, IL, 14 July 10
Alternatives to Electricity for Transmission and Annual-scale Firming Storage for Diverse Renewable Energy Resources: Hydrogen and Ammonia Fuels
Presentation: PDF (7.9 MB)
Business of Clean Energy in Alaska, REAP (Renewable Energy Alaska Project)
Anchorage, AK, 18 June 10
Making Ammonia Fuel From Alaska’s Vast Stranded Renewable Energy Resources
Presentation: PDF (4 MB)
National Hydrogen Association (NHA) annual conference
Long Beach, CA, 4-6 May 10
Begin Now: Design and Build a Renewables-Source Hydrogen Transmission Pipeline Pilot Plant
Video: https://vimeo.com/209160500
Presentation: PDF (4.9 MB)
International Colloquium on Environmentally Preferred Advanced Generation, ICEPAG 2010, ASME
Costa Mesa, CA, 9-11 Feb 10
Transmission and Annual-scale Firming Storage Alternatives to Electricity: Gaseous Hydrogen and Anhydrous Ammonia via Underground Pipeline
Paper: PDF (1.2 MB)
Presentation: PDF (8.7 MB)
EUEC 2010
Phoenix, AZ, 2 February 10
Transmission and Annual-scale Firming Storage Alternatives to Electricity: Gaseous Hydrogen and Anhydrous Ammonia via Underground Pipeline
Presentation: PDF (4.5 MB)
Wartburg College, Corporation Day Keynote
Waverly, IA, 6 Oct 09
Running the World on Renewables: Energy Sustainability with God on Our Side?
Video: https://vimeo.com/209334746
Presentation: PDF (11 MB)
IRENEW Energy Expo (Iowa Renewable Energy Association)
Norway, IA, 12-13 Sep 09
Running Iowa, and the World, on Firm Renewables via GW-scale Transmission and Storage
Presentation: PDF (12.5 MB)
Clean Tech
Houston, TX, 4-6 May 09
Running the World on Renewables via Hydrogen Pipelines with Firming Geologic Storage
Abstract: PDF (341 kB)
National Hydrogen Association (NHA) annual meeting
Columbia, SC, 30 Mar – 3 Apr 09
Alaska Village Survival: Affordable Energy Independence via Renewables Firmed as Hydrogen Storage in Liquid Anhydrous Ammonia
Paper: PDF (345 kB)
Wind Engineering, Volume 32, Number 1, 2008
Copyright © 2008 Multi-Science Publishing Company, UK
Transmission and Firming of GW-Scale Wind Energy via Hydrogen and Ammonia
John Holbrook, AmmPower LLC and Bill Leighty, The Leighty Foundation
Paper: PDF (2.3 MB)
Ammonia: The Key to US Energy Independence
Minneapolis, MN, 29-30 September 08
Energy Storage with Anhydrous Ammonia: Comparison with other Energy Storage
Presentation: PDF (3 MB)
IRENEW (Iowa Renewable Energy Association) Energy Expo 08
Cedar Falls, IA, 14 September 08, University of Northern Iowa, CEEE
Running the World on Renewables
Presentation: PDF (16 MB)
Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP) Energy Fair
Anchorage, AK, 9 August 08, Park Strip and Chena Hot Springs, AK 23 August 08
Running Alaska and the World on Renewables via Hydrogen and Ammonia Pipelines and Fuels
Presentation: PDF (11 MB)
Fuel Cell 2008
Long Beach, CA, 21-22 May 08
Running the World on Renewables via Hydrogen Transmission Pipelines with Firming Geologic Storage
Presentation: PDF (4 MB)
Electricity Storage Association annual meeting
Anaheim, CA, 21 May 08
Running the World on Renewables via Gaseous Hydrogen Pipeline Transmission and Firming Geologic Storage
Presentation: PDF (6 MB)
International Journal of Energy Research (IJER), Volume 32 Issue 5, April 2008
Special issue on Renewables and Hydrogen Energy
Technologies for Sustainable Development Issue Edited by Bent Sørensen. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Running the world on renewables: Hydrogen transmission pipelines and firming geologic storage
Paper: PDF (470 kB)
National Hydrogen Association annual meeting
Sacramento, CA, 30 March – 4 April, 2008
Two Farm Bill Research Initiatives Promise New Markets, Transmission, and Firming Storage for Diverse, Large-scale, Stranded Renewables as Hydrogen and Ammonia
Paper: PDF (345 kB)
Poster: PDF (1.2 MB) ‘07 Farm Bill: Hydrogen from Large, Stranded, Renewable Resources
Washington International Renewable Energy Conference 08 (WIREC 08)
Official Side Event (OSE) #92
Washington, DC, 4-6 March 08, Washington Convention Center
GW-scale Transmission and Annual-scale Firming Storage Alternatives for Diverse, Stranded, Renewables: Electricity, Hydrogen, Ammonia, and Others
Speakers: Bill Leighty, The Leighty Foundation; John Moore, Environmental Law and Policy Center; Tom Key, EPRI; Jerome Hinkle, National Hydrogen Association; Jim Blencoe, Hydrogen Discoveries, Inc.; Jason Ganley, Howard University
Presentation: PDF