Michigan is getting ready to explore for geologic hydrogen as a new alternative energy form to decarbonize maritime shipping, manufacturing and heavy-duty transportation.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently issued an Executive Directive No. 2026-1 for the state government to prepare to find and potentially commercialize geologic hydrogen thought to be located beneath the surface within its borders.
Geologic hydrogen is a natural resource that may become a new alternative energy source that competes with fossil fuels.
“This initiative will uncover more about Michigan’s geologic hydrogen stores, which have the potential to attract long-term investments in our state and create thousands of good paying jobs for Michiganders,” Whitmer announced when signing the directive.
The goal is to prepare to explore and develop geologic hydrogen in Michigan, which would involve private investment.
“Investments in geologic hydrogen will solidify Michigan’s place at the forefront of the U.S. hydrogen economy, which is projected to reach tens of billions of dollars in new economic activity. Opportunities in clean hydrogen will create new, high-wage jobs for Michiganders, lower industrial production costs, encourage long-term, statewide investments, and keep Michigan competitive in a global marketplace,” according to the governor’s office.
The order is called the “Geologic Hydrogen Exploration and Preparedness Initiative.” It was established to oversee statewide planning, formulate regulatory authorizations, assess infrastructure, develop an economic strategy, prepare a workforce and perform environmental evaluations.
“With the right coordination across state agencies, research institutions, and the private sector geological hydrogen can move rapidly from scientific promise to practical application, supporting hydrogen-powered mobility, clean energy independence, and the advanced manufacturing opportunities that will define Michigan’s next era of innovation,” noted Judd Herzer, director of Mobility Research and Innovation at Michigan State University, in the governor’s announcement.
1st Geologic Hydrogen Map of the U.S.
Last year, the U.S. Geological Service released a methodology applied to the lower 48 states that indicated areas for potential geologic hydrogen repositories. This information was used to create a the first U.S. map showing likely locations for geologic hydrogen.
“Geologic, or naturally occurring, hydrogen has the potential to become a new, low-carbon, primary energy resource. Often referred to as ‘white’ or ‘gold’ hydrogen, this gas occurs naturally in the Earth’s subsurface, similar to petroleum resources. However, unlike petroleum, which releases carbon dioxide when burned, burning hydrogen only produces water as a byproduct. Exploration for geologic hydrogen remains in an early stage and discoveries of high concentrations of subsurface hydrogen are still relatively rare,” USGS says.
Michigan’s Officials Now Have Short Deadlines with Action Items
The governor established a series of action items for state officials that are due by April 1.
The state Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy must submit a report to the governor’s office about existing laws and regulations to allow geologic hydrogen exploration, production, transportation and storage. Any legal impediments should be noted.
Deliverables include:
- Necessary technical research to better understand the state’s geologic hydrogen resources,
- Potential carbon and criteria pollutant changes associated with hydrogen production and end use,
- Possible use of existing oil and gas wells and related infrastructure for hydrogen production, storage, and monitoring (including safety issues for both above-ground and subsurface use).
The Department of Natural Resources must also submit a report on any legal barriers to to leasing state-owned subsurface rights for hydrogen exploration and production. Other information to include should identify necessary changes to state polices and procedures to allow enable leasing. Permitting considerations also key topics.
The Michigan Infrastructure Office has a series of tasks to complete. Among them are to forecast how many new businesses could be created.
Michigan Positioning for New Hydrogen Ventures
“Michigan is uniquely positioned to benefit from the growth of hydrogen energy. The geologic hydrogen in the Midcontinent Rift that lies beneath Michigan could, if commercially viable, generate tens of millions of dollars annually in direct state revenue, and drive an even larger indirect fiscal impact that benefits our families and communities,” stated the Executive Directive.
“At the same time, Michigan could see billions of dollars in new economic activity by tapping into a fraction of the U.S. hydrogen economy, which is projected to reach tens of billions of dollars in the coming years,” the order noted.
