Imagine a source of energy that produces no carbon emissions, lies beneath our feet, and could power human civilization for millennia. A growing body of research now suggests that such a resource exists, and it’s been hiding in plain sight. Scientists believe Earth’s crust may hold vast reservoirs of natural hydrogen, a hidden clean energy source with the potential to transform the global energy landscape.
In a new study published in Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, geoscientists estimate that the Earth has produced enough hydrogen over the past billion years to meet today’s energy demand for more than 170,000 years. That hydrogen wasn’t made in labs or factories. It was created underground through natural geological processes, and much of it may still be there, waiting to be tapped.
Hydrogen is already a key component in making industrial chemicals like ammonia and methanol. It can also be used to fuel vehicles and power plants. However, most hydrogen used today is manufactured from fossil fuels, which release carbon dioxide.
By contrast, naturally occurring hydrogen could provide a clean energy alternative with no emissions, no drilling for oil, and no massive refineries. That’s what makes it such a compelling hidden clean energy source.
Scientists are now working to identify the geological conditions that create and trap hydrogen underground. It turns out, many types of rock, especially ancient volcanic formations and mineral-rich areas, can produce hydrogen when they react with water.
If those areas also have porous rocks to store the gas and impermeable layers to trap it, they could become viable hydrogen reservoirs. Kansas has become a region of special interest. A billion-year-old feature called the Midcontinent Rift is made of basalt, a type of rock that can react with water to release hydrogen.
Similar conditions exist in other parts of the U.S. and around the world, including Albania, where a large underground hydrogen pocket was recently discovered. Companies backed by major investors, including Bill Gates and BP, are already looking to scale up hydrogen exploration and extraction.
Unlike wind and solar, which depend on weather, underground hydrogen could provide a stable, around-the-clock power supply. There are still challenges. Some underground microbes can consume hydrogen, and not every promising rock formation will lead to a usable reservoir.
But the researchers behind the new study have outlined the basic ingredients needed to find and harness this resource. It’s a starting point for turning an overlooked natural process into a major source of sustainable energy with zero carbon emissions.
