This website contains sixteen essays by Dr. Robert Ruhl which outline concepts for new energy technologies which could create major economic and environmental benefits for the United States. The papers should be of interest to many readers, but were written in the hope of inspiring companies or individuals able to pursue or support any of the recommendations. Links to downloadable pdf files are under the paper description. To learn more about the author you can view Dr. Robert Ruhl’s bio.
Bio-Natural Gas Homes (December 2025)
Three alternative energy systems in an example U.S. residence with piped gas are described. The base case uses traditional equipment with a gas furnace and gasoline vehicles. An intermediate case (using equipment now available) adds solar panels and battery, and substitutes a ductless heat pump system and all-electric vehicles. A proposed advanced case adds a new fuel-cell system fed by renewable bio-natural gas (BNG).
BNG (made from hay and wood chips) is expected to become available regionally by 2040, co-mingled with fossil natural gas in existing pipelines. BNG will initially be sold (at higher prices) only to customers using qualifying advanced equipment.
Projected 2040 results show high energy costs and CO2 emissions for the traditional case, with considerably lower values for the intermediate one. The advanced case has negative net annual energy costs and CO2 emissions, with attractive ROIs. The intermediate case provides limited electricity and heating during grid outages, while the advanced case supplies all home energy needs indefinitely during outages.
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Homes with Energy Storage (December 2025)
Three alternative energy systems in an example U.S. residence with no piped gas are described. The base case uses traditional equipment with an oil furnace and gasoline vehicles. An intermediate case (using equipment now available) adds solar panels and battery, and substitutes a ductless heat pump system and all-electric vehicles. A proposed advanced case adds a new energy storage system using reversible fuel cells.
Projected 2040 results show high energy costs and CO2 emissions for the traditional case, with considerably lower values for the intermediate one. The advanced configuration has negative net annual energy costs and CO2 emissions, with attractive ROIs. The intermediate case provides limited electricity and heating during grid outages, while the advanced case supplies all energy needs during long outages.
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Carbon Removal from the Atmosphere (December 2024)
Technologies are recommended to affordably remove five billion annual metric tons (‘tonnes”) of CO2 from the atmosphere in the by the 2050s. When added to the proposed elimination of the nearly five billion tonnes of today’s CO2 emissions from fossil fuel uses, the combined improvement would approach ten billion tonnes per year in the United States. The CO2 removed would be converted to pure liquid and permanently sequestered deep underground in suitable rock formations.
Two types of technology are proposed: direct air capture and new biofuels systems. Direct air capture systems would use alkali-water solutions to dissolve CO2 from the atmosphere, followed by its separation as pure liquid. The systems would obtain needed energy for operation from the pollution-free use of natural gas or coal, with all of their contained carbon also captured and sequestered.
The biofuels systems would convert biomass crops (processed into hay and wood chips) and wastes into four premium-quality fuels: bio-natural gas (BNG), bio-propane, bio-gasoline, and bio-kerosene. The kerosene would replace today’s jet fuel and much of today’s diesel fuel and heating oil. Part of the biomass carbon would be captured as pure liquid CO2 and sequestered.
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Biofuels 2050 (March 2024)
This document outlines a proposed plan to produce large annual quantities of four new types of biofuels by 2050. Use of these affordable fuels would eliminate considerable fossil CO2 emissions. They would consist of bio-natural gas, biopropane, biogasoline, and bio-kerosene. The biofuels would replace their fossil fuel counterparts in applications where CO2 capture is impractical (bio-kerosene would replace jet fuel and also employed in many applications now using diesel fuel or heating oil).
The new biofuels would be made from farmed crops and wastes. The crops would be prepared as chopped hay and wood chips. The wastes include biomass wastes (from farms, yards and gardens, food wastes, trash, etc.) plus any type of plastic waste not being recycled.
Novel, highly efficient, and non-polluting converters would gasify the feeds and use multiple chemical reactors plus other equipment to produce the fuels, with part of their carbon captured as liquid CO2 for permanent underground sequestration. Feed-to-biofuel conversion would occur in minutes. The grid-interactive converters would also help the economics of wind and solar power by providing virtual grid electricity storage.
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Residential Energy 2040 (January 2023)
An example U.S. home and associated vehicles using traditional energy technologies would have 2040 energy costs of $12,500, cause fossil CO2 emissions of 21 metric tons, and be vulnerable to power outages. Recommended enhancements (using existing technologies with evolutionary improvements) are described which could lower annual costs to $4,600, CO2 emissions to 18% of traditional, and provide significant backup energy during outages.
The further addition of a proposed fuel-cell system would reduce net energy costs to $1,500 per year, CO2 to only 2% of traditional, and provide full backup power during outages of any duration.
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Combatting Climate Change (August 2022)
A strategy is proposed to eliminate fossil CO2 emissions in the U.S. before 2050 and remove an additional 6 billion tons annually from the atmosphere. The strategy would also produce economic benefits to energy users, producers, governments, and the economy. Higher energy-usage efficiencies would reduce consumption by 40% in spite of GDP growth.
Many of today’s best technologies would be improved and widely deployed, including solar and wind generation and plug-in vehicles. Advanced technologies based on proven concepts would also be developed and installed at large scale. These include processes manufacturing new biofuels, distributed-generation systems using fuel cells, equipment which directly removes CO2 from the air, and permanent sequestration of carbon from both fossil fuels and the atmosphere.
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Residences with Zero Fossil Carbon Emissions (August 2022)
An example of U.S. residences and vehicles are described, which use both existing and proposed new technologies to achieve zero fossil carbon emissions while reducing 2050 energy costs from over $18,000 for a home using traditional technologies to less than $1000. Additionally, the home maintains full electrical and HVAC capabilities during grid outages of any duration. Proposed existing technologies include plug-in vehicles, rooftop solar panels, and superior insulation. Advanced new technologies include a reversible natural gas fuel cell system and a ductless heat pump system with electrically- and thermally-powered compressors. The ROI on the required investment is 25% without any subsidies.
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Virtual Battery Systems (December 2021)
New technologies are described which can help achieve major net fossil CO2 removal from the atmosphere while reducing the share of GDP spent on energy. Also recommended are efficiency and infrastructure improvements which increase the advantages of the proposed systems.
Virtual battery (VB) systems will perform the equivalent function of very large-scale storage of electricity from wind and solar. VB systems are considerably more cost effective and have far superior timing flexibility than chemical storage batteries.
Virtual batteries use surplus wind and solar power (transported by the power grid) to immediately perform a valuable function. At any other time (when user needs exceed renewable supplies), they generate power for the grid. Four types of virtual-battery systems are recommended, all with zero or negative fossil carbon emissions (using permanent underground sequestration of CO2):
- Distributed generation systems produce on-site power at residential, commercial, and industrial sites.
- Biomass converters produce superior biofuels from biomass crops and wastes.
- Modified petroleum refineries utilize VB systems to improve profitability and reduce emissions.
- Direct air capture systems remove CO2 from the atmosphere.
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Advanced Natural Gas Energy Systems (November 2020)
This paper summarizes proposed new and existing energy technologies which could significantly reduce user energy costs and fossil CO2 emissions. Conventional natural gas fuel would be partially replaced with bio-natural gas manufactured by a new process. An example residence in 2035 could enjoy annual energy cost savings of 75% below a conventional home, with greatly reduced, zero, or negative fossil CO2 emissions. The proposed technologies would facilitate expansion of solar and wind power, benefit all categories of energy users, and provide uninterruptible full power during grid outages of any duration. Faster phaseout of coal power and improved trade balances are expected.
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Combating Global Warming (June 2020)
Recommendations to transform U.S. energy production and use by 2050 are presented. Energy-related fossil CO2 emissions (forecast to approach 5 billion metric tonnes in 2050) would be eliminated. Another 5 billion tonnes would annually be removed from the atmosphere and permanently sequestered underground (combined reduction of 10 billion tonnes per year). The recommended actions would produce major economic benefits, including net job increases and greatly improved balance of trade.
Delivered energy would include major increases of solar and wind power, enabled by innovative virtual battery systems. New types of biofuels would be produced by novel conversion systems from dedicated crops and wastes. Economical CO2 capture and sequestration would be applied to fossil-fueled systems, bio-energy systems, and new direct-air-capture systems. Total fossil fuel use (all with CO2 capture) would decline by more than half.
Energy consumption would be reduced 40% below 2050 forecasts in spite of population and GDP increases. Advanced fuel cell systems would be widely employed in both stationary and mobile applications. Plug-in vehicles would become commonplace. Much lower building energy use is expected. Advanced heat pump systems would be integrated with fuel cell systems.
The proposed new technologies can be deployed to the rest of the world. Large exports of fossil fuels are possible to countries practicing CO2 capture and sequestration.
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Proposed New Residential, Transportation, and Biofuel Technologies (June 2019)
This paper describes three proposed new energy technologies which could be widely deployed before 2030.
Advanced natural gas residential fuel cell systems could reduce example 2030 energy costs of $8200 by up to $10,000 per year. They would reduce net annual fossil CO2 emissions of 21 metric tons (tonnes) by up to 41 tonnes. The proposed systems would provide uninterruptible whole-house power throughout grid outages of any duration and help power neighborhood microgrids.
New trucks powered by fuel cell systems using compressed natural gas (CNG) hybridized with lithium-ion batteries are proposed. Compared with example engine-powered CNG freight trucks, 2030 energy costs would fall from $35,000 to $9000. Annual CO2 emissions would decrease from 103 tonnes to a low, zero, or negative value.
New farm-based systems would economically convert biomass crops and wastes into bio-natural gas (BNG) while capturing some of the feed carbon for permanent underground sequestration, achieving net carbon removal from the atmosphere. The systems would operate part of the time as virtual batteries, buying grid power (to produce extra BNG) when prices are low and exporting power to the grid (instead of making BNG) when prices are high. This virtual-battery function would perform large-scale energy storage at much lower cost per kilowatt-hour than chemical battery systems, making wind and solar power more cost-effective. Unlike conventional storage, grid buy and sell timing would be totally flexible.
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Residential Energy Systems 2030 (October 2018)
Advanced natural gas fuel cell systems are proposed for residential applications. The systems would supply all electrical and hot water needs and assist with space heating. They would profitably sell excess power to the grid. Three major benefits would be obtained for an example home:
- Energy costs would fall from $8800 to $2000 per year
- Annual CO2 emissions would decline from 21 to 7 metric tonnes
- Uninterruptible whole-house power would continue during grid outages of any length
Optional add-on systems would further enhance benefits. They would capture all the carbon from the natural gas as liquid CO2 for sale and permanent underground sequestration. They would also use surplus grid power to produce valuable ammonia fertilizer for sale. Additional financial benefits would be $4000 per year, creating a net annual profit of $2000. Additional CO2 reduction would be 16 tonnes/year, giving 9 tonnes net annual removal. Projected installed costs would yield very attractive returns on investment.
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CO2 Removal from the Atmosphere (July 2018)
The United States currently emits more than five billion metric tons of fossil CO2 annually. A combination of technologies is described which could eliminate these emissions and actually remove more than five billion tons from the atmosphere annually by 2060. The CO2 benefits would be accompanied by major economic improvements: reduced user energy costs, net job creation, and replacement of energy-related imports by exports.
A number of new, cost-effective technologies would be utilized. Converters would convert very large quantities of biomass crops and wastes into premium hydrocarbon fuels. Advanced fuel cell systems would be employed extensively for transportation and stationary power generation. CO2 would be captured from fossil sources, biomass sources, and directly from the air for permanent sequestration deep underground. The proposed strategy would facilitate much larger use of solar and wind power and discontinue nuclear power. Zero fossil CO2 emissions could be achieved in 2045 prior to the large annual removals.
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Very High Efficiency Fuel Cell Systems (September 2017)
This paper describes stationary fuel cell systems which could become available in quantity by the mid-2020s, generating AC power from natural gas at efficiencies higher than any known alternative: 80 to 83%. Three sizes would be offered: 300, 1000, and 3000 kW. They would produce attractive returns on investment (37% per year or higher), have lower net fossil carbon emissions (reductions of 40% or more), and could deliver entire-site uninterruptible power during grid outages of any length.
An optional accessory system would economically capture all carbon from the fuel as pure liquid CO2 for sequestration (zero carbon emissions, ZCE), slightly improving financial results. If bio-natural gas (BNG) became available, net fossil carbon emissions from a system could even be negative (net CO2 removal from the atmosphere).
The proposed fuel cell systems would also be advantageous for many commercial transportation applications using compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Full U.S. deployment of the stationary systems (to suitable applications) could generate outstanding cost savings (potentially over $100 billion per year) and major reductions (up to 2.6 billion metric tonnes per year) in fossil CO2 emissions.
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Virtual Batteries (April 2017)
Virtual batteries are defined herein as stationary grid-connected systems which can operate as if they were storing electricity for later delivery, but do not actually perform storage. Unlike ordinary rechargeable batteries, their output energy is independent of input energy with respect to both quantity and timing. Virtual batteries can enhance solar and wind generation. They can accept surplus grid power at any time and deliver extra power to the grid at desired times (even different seasons).
The virtual battery systems described herein promise excellent returns on investment, unlike conventional battery systems (whose storage costs are typically over four times higher). They would reduce costs for grid-power users, increase utility profits, and provide uninterruptible power. The proposed systems could also replace net U.S. petroleum-related imports with exports and reduce fossil CO2 emissions by 25%.
Four types of stationary systems with virtual-battery capabilities are proposed: natural gas fuel cell, propane fuel cell/cogeneration, natural gas to ammonia, and biomass to biogasoline. Grid power would be purchased when prices are low and fuel-cell power sold to the grid when prices are high. At intermediate grid prices, grid power to/from the virtual batteries would be zero (except for the propane system in cool or cold weather).
United States Energy 2050 (March 2016)
An energy vision is described which achieves carbon neutrality (zero net fossil carbon emissions), major economic benefits and job creation, net energy exports, and much cleaner air.
The novel technologies outlined include production of new types of biofuels, advanced fuel cell systems, and innovative carbon capture processes. Both stationary and transportation systems are included.
By 2050, user annual energy cost savings are projected to be $900 billion. Net annual energy exports would be $1170 billion (instead of the large imports now forecast). Millions of new permanent jobs are expected, with the majority in bio-energy. Domestic fossil fuels (coal, petroleum, and natural gas) would continue to play a role, but their carbon would be economically captured and permanently sequestered underground.