Dr. Boness explores the opportunities and challenges shaping hydrogen’s clean energy future

Hydrogen is fast becoming a cornerstone of the global energy transition—promising to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors and reshape how we produce, store and use energy. But turning this potential into reality requires more than ambition; it demands clarity, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration. In an exclusive interview with Discover Green Hydrogen, Dr. Naomi Boness, Managing Director of Stanford University’s Natural Gas Initiative and Co-Managing Director of the Stanford Hydrogen Initiative, offers a compelling look at how hydrogen can scale sustainably. Drawing from her work across academia, industry, and international energy ecosystems—including a recent visit to India—she shares insights on policy priorities, public perception, infrastructure needs, and the technological breakthroughs that could define the next decade of hydrogen growth. Read on as Dr. Boness unpacks the opportunities and obstacles shaping hydrogen’s role in the clean energy future.

In your view, how does hydrogen fit into the broader strategy for achieving global decarbonization? What role do you see it playing in the next decade?
Molecular fuels account for approximately 90% of global primary energy consumption today. As we deploy more renewables (wind and solar) and electrify where possible, we expect our dependence on fuels to reduce, but projections indicate fuels will account for at least 50% of primary energy. Most of these fuels are fossil-based. Hydrogen is the only non-carbon fuel available today that could scale, and estimates are that in the next decade hydrogen could account for up to 5% of global energy.

You’ve recently visited India. What were your key takeaways from the visit, particularly in the context of the country’s rapid progress in clean energy?
Wow! India has over 100 GW of solar energy installed (compared to 120GW in the US) and is well on its way of reaching its goal of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based energy by 2030, with solar energy expected to contribute nearly 300 GW to that target. The commitment to clean energy is evident, from the highest ranks of government through companies and into communities. India having a single grid serving the entire country results in every part of the country benefiting. The challenge we need to address is that India's energy demand is increasing at an incredible pace and without more low-cost clean sources of energy it is likely that coal use will increase to meet the demand.

Given the political uncertainties surrounding hydrogen initiatives, what policies or regulatory frameworks do you believe are crucial for fostering a supportive environment for hydrogen development?
The cost to produce Hydrogen is not yet at par with competing fuels like coal and natural gas, so for hydrogen markets to initiate national support and incentives are required. These could be in the form of mandates, tax credits or ‘contract-for-difference’ pricing mechanisms. The lack of hydrogen infrastructure will also require national and local funding support, public education and coordination.

How important is public perception in the adoption of hydrogen technologies and what steps can be taken to educate the public about its benefits and challenges?
Public perception is incredibly important, and educating the public on the safety of hydrogen is critical for the approval to use hydrogen in transportation, for example, but also for the building of infrastructure such as refueling stations or pipelines.

In your opinion, what should be the key priorities for policymakers in the next five years to ensure a balanced and sustainable energy transition?
Policymakers have the tough job of optimizing energy systems for affordability, reliability and sustainability. All of these are key priorities, and a pragmatic approach is required to keep costs down today and provide reliable power, while transitioning to technologies that will enable future sustainability.

What are the most promising developments in hydrogen production that you believe could significantly impact its adoption in the energy sector?
We will need all available hydrogen production pathways to grow this hydrogen economy to its fullest potential. In some regions that have great renewable resources, like India, electrolysis is likely to be the dominant technology. In regions with fossil resources, steam methane reforming with carbon capture and storage or pyrolysis are likely to prevail.

While green hydrogen is touted as a cleaner alternative, what are the potential environmental impacts associated with its production and distribution that we should be aware of?
There’s no free lunch for the energy transition and there are tradeoffs associated with every energy pathway. Green hydrogen, produced by splitting water with renewable electricity, will require large amount of fresh water in addition to using renewable power that will then not be available for other purposes such as electrifying transportation or buildings.

In an interview with World Hydrogen North America, you mentioned that India aims to leverage 200 GW of solar capacity for hydrogen production. What technological adaptations are needed to optimize intermittent renewables for ammonia synthesis in developing economies?
The Haber Bosch process for synthesizing ammonia is over 100 years old and is the basis for the ammonia industry today. However, Haber Bosch requires very consistent input power and is not well suited to the intermittent nature of renewables. Ammobia is one company innovating on traditional Haber Bosch to create a more efficient process that will operate at lower pressures and temperatures and be flexible enough to work with intermittent renewables.

What are the key sectors that will drive demand for green hydrogen in the coming years, and why?
The demand for green hydrogen will be driven by the hard-to-abate sectors which are difficult to electrify and require molecular fuels. Examples are the steel industry and the heavy-duty transportation sectors.

How do you see natural gas evolving in the global energy transition, especially in relation to renewable energy sources?
I think natural gas and renewables are highly synergistic. Natural gas is available today at scale and can provide reliability and keep costs affordable for energy systems with large amounts of renewable energy. The alternative is to use batteries or fuels like hydrogen, both of which are still too expensive for seasonal energy storage applications. I see natural gas and hydrogen on a continuum where natural gas is the solution today but can be blended and eventually transitioned to hydrogen in the future.

As Aemetis board director, how do you see renewable natural gas synergizing with hydrogen infrastructure in hard-to-abate sectors like aviation?
Capturing renewable natural gas (or biomethane) from landfills, water treatment plants and dairies, is a no-brainer as biomethane has a much stronger impact on global warming if it is released directly versus capturing and using like conventional natural gas. Using that renewable natural gas for applications in hard-to-abate sectors is easier in some ways than hydrogen as conventional natural gas infrastructure can be used. Hydrogen offers a different value proposition in sectors like aviation for creating a synthetic hydrocarbon fuel generated from hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

Your Stanford Hydrogen Economy course bridges academia and industry knowledge. What critical skill gaps are you addressing to prepare engineers for the hydrogen workforce?
We are at the start of our journey building the hydrogen economy of the future and will need a workforce that understand the unique challenges associated with the most abundant element in our universe. We aim to educate across the entire hydrogen value chain from hydrogen production through transportation and storage and end-use applications, all in the context of policy and techno-economics.