The future of hydrogen as a consumer transportation fuel was discussed by a retired executive vice president of ExxonMobil Wednesday night.

Michael Ramage spoke to a full Gallery Room in the Memorial Union and focused on the findings of a committee in the National Research Council formed to study the future of the hydrogen economy, of which he was chairman.

“The vision of hydrogen is energy security and a cleaner environment,” Ramage said.

The committee’s research included simulations of the penetration of hydrogen fuel into the light transport market.

One scenario, which he described as “an optimistic case,” showed hydrogen overtaking petroleum as a light transportation fuel as early as 2030.

Ramage stressed the importance of hydrogen infrastructure development and showed several models for the production and distribution of hydrogen.

“Hydrogen production is already happening, the problem is getting it from here to there,” he said.

Ramage said technical challenges associated with the development of practical technology to allow the use of hydrogen as a source of transportation fuel are important.

“The No. 1 problem of the hydrogen economy is the development of the fuel cell,” he said.

Among the researchers working to address this problem are a number of ISU faculty members.

Vitalij Pecharsky, professor of materials science and engineering, is a part of a team at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory working on an initiative to research problems with fuel cell technology.

“We are looking for advanced materials suitable for hydrogen storage,” said Pecharsky, who said he has been working on the problem for nine years.

Ramage said academic institutions will play a key part in development of necessary technology.

“The breakthroughs that are necessary will require creative concepts and ideas, and there is no better place for that than top-flight universities like Iowa State,” he said.