A new map released by the US Geological Survey (USGS) on January 16, 2025, raises hopes for a huge source of clean energy: natural hydrogen. With an estimated reserve of up to 6.2 billion tons, this could be an energy "treasure" that helps the US lead the race to replace oil and gas.
For years, experts have been skeptical that natural hydrogen could be stored in sufficient quantities to be a practical energy source. But the new USGS map challenges that view.
“For a long time, we thought that natural hydrogen did not exist in large enough quantities to be used for energy purposes,” said Sarah Ryker, director of energy and minerals at the USGS. “But this map shows that many areas in the United States actually have the potential to become huge sources of hydrogen.”
The map divides the United States into two groups: areas with high potential for hydrogen and areas with low potential. Some of the states identified as being rich in potential include Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, the “Four Corners” states — the famous area in the southwest where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet at a single point — along the California coast and parts of the East Coast.
According to research from the USGS, just 2% of this natural hydrogen would be enough to supply the world with carbon-free fuel for 200 years.
"This amount of usable hydrogen energy is estimated to be twice the total energy of all proven gas reserves on Earth," said study co-authors Geoff Ellis and Sarah Gelman.
To identify areas where hydrogen is present, scientists developed a completely new method. They evaluated factors such as hydrogen sources, reservoir rock types, and gas shields to find the ideal conditions for hydrogen accumulation.
Scientists predict that hydrogen could account for up to 30% of future energy supplies in some industries. However, current methods of producing hydrogen are expensive and inefficient. Harnessing natural hydrogen could be the key to solving the sustainable energy problem.
This revolutionary map is just the beginning, ushering in a new era of clean energy. The question is: How do we harness this precious resource?
