THP-E386: Can the U.S. Lead the Global Hydrogen Race? National Energy Emergency & Natural Hydrogen

Paul Rodden • Season: 2025 • Episode: 386

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Welcome to The Hydrogen Podcast!

Welcome to The Hydrogen Podcast! 🚀 In this episode, Paul Rodden breaks down the United States’ position in the global hydrogen race following the recent National Energy Emergency declaration. With an estimated 6.2 trillion tons of natural hydrogen reserves and the potential for economic transformation, how can the U.S. harness this untapped energy source to outpace Europe and Asia? Key Topics Covered: 🔹 National Energy Emergency: Implications for hydrogen development and infrastructure 🔹 Natural Hydrogen Reserves: How 6.2 trillion tons could revolutionize the U.S. energy economy 🔹 Global Comparisons: U.S. strategies vs. Europe’s Southern Hydrogen Corridor and Asia’s advancements 🔹 Technological Applications: Hydrogen turbines, fuel cells, and their roles in power and industry 🔹 Roadmap for U.S. Leadership: Policies, investments, and innovation needed to secure a hydrogen future Featured Highlights: 1️⃣ Natural Hydrogen’s Cost Advantage: Production costs as low as $1/kg compared to green hydrogen’s $5-$7/kg 2️⃣ Job Creation Potential: Up to 10,000 jobs per $1 billion investment in hydrogen infrastructure 3️⃣ Infrastructure Growth: Accelerated permitting and R&D under the national energy emergency 4️⃣ Lessons from Europe: The hydrogen bank and integrated pipelines driving EU’s strategy 5️⃣ Hydrogen’s Future Role: From grid resilience to steelmaking and U.S. export dominance

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Paul Rodden

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Transcript:

On today’s show, I’m going to tackle a critical and timely issue, how the United States is positioning itself in the global hydrogen race in light of the recent declaration of a national energy emergency, this episode explores America’s vast untapped hydrogen potential, the economic opportunities tied to these resources, and how they compare to hydrogen strategies across Europe and Asia. Hydrogen is often called the Swiss Army knife of energy because of its versatility across industries, power generation, transportation, industrial processes and beyond. With us sitting on an estimated 6.2 trillion tons of natural hydrogen, we stand at the crossroads of tremendous opportunity and strategic decision making. But how does this opportunity stack up against international efforts? What role does the energy crisis declaration play in accelerating or complicating hydrogens paths forward and importantly, how do all of these pieces come together to create a viable energy future. All this on today’s hydrogen podcast. So the big questions in the energy industry today are, how is hydrogen the primary driving force behind the evolution of energy? Where is capital being deployed for hydrogen projects globally, and where are the best investment opportunities for early adopters who recognize the importance of hydrogen? I will address the critical issues and give you the information you need to deploy capital. Those are the questions that will unlock the potential of hydrogen, and this podcast will give you the answers. My name is Paul Rodden, and welcome to the hydrogen podcast. The recent declaration of a national energy emergency has thrown the US energy landscape into sharp focus by framing energy security as a matter of national importance, the federal government is sending a clear message. We need to diversify our energy sources and reduce our vulnerabilities to supply chain disruptions, geopolitical instability and price volatility, while hydrocarbons remain foundational to today’s energy mix, hydrogen is rapidly emerging as a critical pathway for energy diversification and resilience. This declaration has important implications for hydrogen development. Firstly, it could streamline permitting processes for hydrogen infrastructure projects. Historically, one of the biggest bottlenecks for hydrogen adoption has been the lengthy approval process for production facilities, pipelines and storage systems. By prioritizing these projects as essential for national energy security, the government could accelerate deployment timelines, enabling hydrogen producers to scale up operations faster and more cost effectively. Secondly, the emergency declaration could spur federal and state level investments in hydrogen R and D, particularly in areas like fuel cells, hydrogen turbines and natural hydrogen exploration. Early economic projections suggest that for every billion dollars invested in hydrogen infrastructure, up to 10,000 jobs could be created. These are high skill, high paying jobs in engineering, manufacturing, operations, key sectors for revitalizing the American economy. Now, with that being said, Can the US leverage its natural hydrogen reserves to lead the global hydrogen economy? Well, the US is home to what may be one of the world’s most significant untapped energy resources, natural hydrogen. Recent studies estimate that the US holds approximately 6.2 trillion tons of natural hydrogen in subsurface deposits. To put that into perspective, these reserves could supply the US energy system for centuries, providing a stable and low cost hydrogen source for domestic use and export. Natural hydrogen, often called geologic or white hydrogen, is found naturally occurring in the Earth’s crust, and can be extracted with minimal energy input. This gives a significant cost advantage over other hydrogen production methods. Early estimates indicate production costs as low as $1 a kilogram, or equivalent to approximately $8.10 per MMBtu, or $280 per mmcf, making it highly competitive in the global market. By comparison, green hydrogen, produced from renewable energy, currently costs between five and $7 per kilogram. And from an economic perspective, developing a natural hydrogen industry in the US could generate billions in annual revenue. For example, even if 10% of the estimated reserves were developed, the economic output could rival that of some of the largest oil and gas basins in the country. Additionally, this would create an entire ecosystem of support industries from drilling and exploration to pipeline manufacturing and fuel cell technology development. Now, a handful of companies are already leading the charge in this area, firms like natural hydrogen energy LLC are exploring commercial scale natural hydrogen extraction, while others are investigating how these reserves could be integrated. Integrated into existing hydrocarbon infrastructure. These early movers are setting the stage for what could become a transformative industry in the US. And so in light of this, how does the US effort to develop its hydrogen economy compare to Europe’s ambitious hydrogen initiatives? Well, while the US is still ramping up its hydrogen strategy, Europe has been aggressively pursuing hydrogen as a cornerstone of its energy transition. One of the most ambitious projects is the Southern hydrogen corridor, a 3300 kilometer pipeline connecting hydrogen production in North Africa to European markets. This project, spearheaded by Italy, Germany, Austria, Tunisia and Algeria, aims to transport renewable hydrogen at scale, supporting the EU’s goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050 The EU has also established a ten billion hydrogen bank to de risk investments and accelerate the deployment of hydrogen projects. These initiatives are designed to secure Europe’s energy future while reducing its reliance on hydrocarbon imports. However, the cost of renewable hydrogen production remains a significant challenge, with prices averaging six to $8 per kilogram. In contrast, the US has the advantage of abundant natural hydrogen reserves and existing hydrocarbon infrastructure, which can be repurposed for hydrogen production and distribution. This provides a significant cost advantage, enabling the US to produce and distribute hydrogen at scale with minimal capital expenditure. However, Europe’s policy driven approach and cohesive strategy offer lessons for the US in building a coordinated hydrogen economy. And so how do different pathways like natural hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen turbines contribute to the broader energy ecosystem. Well, hydrogen offers a diverse range of technological applications, each tailored to specific industries and use cases in power generation, hydrogen turbines are gaining traction as a complementary technology to fuel cells. Turbines can utilize existing natural gas infrastructure, making them a cost effective solution for grid scale power generation by blending hydrogen with natural gas, utilities can reduce emissions while maintaining reliability. Fuel cells, on the other hand, offer higher efficiency and are ideal for decentralized applications like data centers, industrial power backup and long haul transportation companies like plug power and Bloom Energy are leading the development of hydrogen fuel cells targeting markets ranging from logistics to grid resilience and industrial applications such as steel making represent another significant opportunity. Hydrogen based direct reduction of iron or dri is emerging as a cleaner alternative to coal based methods. US Steel makers are beginning to explore these technologies, taking cues from European companies like Tyson crop, which are already piloting hydrogen steel making plants. And so what does the road ahead look like for us hydrogen economy? Well, the US hydrogen economy is poised for rapid growth, but achieving its full potential will require strategic investments, policy support and industrial collaboration with the discovery of vast natural hydrogen reserves. The US has a unique opportunity to become a global leader in hydrogen production. However, however, competition from Europe, Asia and other regions underscores the need for urgency. In the coming decades, hydrogen could become a cornerstone of the US energy system driving economic growth, job creation and energy resilience. The path forward will involve a mix of technologies, from natural hydrogen extraction to advanced fuel cells and turbines. By leveraging its unique strengths, the US can build a hydrogen economy that not only meets domestic energy needs, but also positions the country as a major exporter of clean energy. All right, that’s it for me, everyone. If you have a second, I would really appreciate it. If you could leave a good review on whatever platform it is that you listen to Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google, YouTube, whatever it is, that would be a tremendous help to the show. And as always, if you ever have any feedback, you’re welcome to email me directly at info@thehydrogenpodcast.com. So until next time, keep your eyes up and honor one another. Hey, this is Paul. I hope you liked this podcast. If you did and want to hear more. I’d appreciate it if you would either subscribe to this channel on YouTube, or connect with your favorite platform through my website at www.thehydrogenpodcast.com. Thanks for listening. I very much appreciate it. Have a great day.