US Air Force eyes geologic hydrogen for on-site power generation

The US Air Force is exploring the feasibility of drilling for geologic hydrogen on military installations to provide on-site power generation, becoming one of the first government entities to take interest in the zero-emission resource.

Tasked with improving the energy security of US military installations, the Air Force's office of energy assurance is eyeing potential hydrogen deposits beneath several bases, the department told Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights. Eventually, the Air Force envisions contracting third parties to extract hydrogen for backup power generation, and later, baseload power.

"What is going to be the next solution set? It's going to be geologic hydrogen," Richard Hartman, chief innovation officer at the Air Force Office of Energy Assurance, told industry members at the Hydrogen Americas summit near Washington, DC, on Sept. 4.

The military's efforts come as the US Energy Department is rolling back federal funding for novel energy resources such as hydrogen. President Donald Trump's budget law on July 4 also shortened the deadline for claiming clean hydrogen production tax credits, which is expected to slow an already-sluggish hydrogen market in the US.

But almost all the capital committed to clean hydrogen production has been for the manufacture of hydrogen, whether by renewable-powered electrolysis, autothermal reforming with carbon capture technology or other methods. Hartman said the Air Force has already considered many of these technologies.

"It just doesn't pencil out for us," Hartman continued. "We don't pay premium prices for electricity, and we have to ensure that we get prices that are fairly close with fossil fuels."

Economics

The Clean Air Task Force and other industry watchers have also argued that hydrogen-powered electricity makes little economic sense, given the amount of energy lost during the hydrogen production process. Furthermore, the molecule is prone to leaks, making it expensive to transport and store. But where underground hydrogen is available, many of these costs are avoided, according to geologic hydrogen advocates.

Also known as natural hydrogen, geologic hydrogen has yet to become a commercially proven energy resource. But the US Geological Survey has identified potential accumulations in the Four Corners states and the Midcontinent Rift System, a rock formation that extends from Kansas to Ontario to Michigan. Other promising regions include the California coast and the Eastern seaboard, according to the agency.

The opportunity has spurred a handful of startups, including Koloma Inc., which is drilling test wells in the US.

"We're pretty confident that there is hydrogen," Carly Anderson, a principal at Prelude Ventures, an investor in Koloma, told Platts in March.

The challenge is "figuring out how to get the hydrogen out of the ground," Anderson added.

Next steps

The Air Force has yet to launch a formal solicitation for hydrogen drilling partners, though the office of energy assurance invited stakeholders in 2024 to weigh in on its geologic hydrogen proposal. The office is also seeking commercial partners to prototype fuel cells or hydrogen-capable turbines for backup power.

"We're trying to build that ecosystem, but we're doing it in a very deliberate approach," Hartman said.

One potential roadblock is the absence of geologic hydrogen in federal statutes on leasing and permitting. "There is currently some uncertainty as to whether natural hydrogen would be considered a 'leasable mineral'" under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, the Air Force told Platts in a statement. The Bureau of Land Management's jurisdiction over geologic hydrogen is also unclear, the Air Force said.

"Additional guidance and a clear framework for resource development from lawmakers and regulators can enable the Air Force to unlock the vast untapped potential of natural hydrogen," the statement continued.

In addition to geologic hydrogen, the Air Force is exploring enhanced geothermal systems, long-duration energy storage, nuclear fission and nuclear fusion to power military installations.

"The Department of the Air Force is dedicated to rebuilding our military and reestablishing deterrence through the development of advanced energy technologies," the department said.