A clean, nearly limitless source of energy has been hiding right beneath our feet — and scientists say they've finally created the recipe to find it.
According to a report from ABC News, researchers from the University of Oxford, along with collaborators from several international institutions, have developed an "exploration recipe" to uncover geological hydrogen trapped deep underground.
Most hydrogen today comes from costly industrial methods tied to fossil fuels, but this type forms naturally — no rigs, smokestacks, or emissions involved.
There's a staggering amount of this hidden energy. Estimates suggest geological hydrogen could meet the world's energy needs for more than 170,000 years.
Until now, scientists hadn't figured out how to locate it. The breakthrough came when researchers identified the precise geological conditions that allow hydrogen to build up underground — but the recipe has to be just right.
You need the right combination of ingredients: rocks that produce hydrogen through natural chemical reactions, open spaces to let the gas collect, and a cap of rock on top to trap it in place.
Chris Ballentine, chair of the geochemistry department at the University of Oxford and lead author of the paper, compared the process to a delicate dish. It's "likened to cooking a soufflé," he said. "Get any one of the ingredients, amounts, timing, or temperature wrong and you will be disappointed."
Now, thanks to this new guide, researchers can start identifying promising sites around the world where natural hydrogen might be hiding. That's a big deal — not just for expanding clean energy options, but for making energy cheaper and more accessible.
Fossil fuel companies produce most of the hydrogen used today through processes that increase costs and contribute approximately 2.4% of global carbon emissions. In contrast, natural hydrogen forms underground and could be considerably cheaper than green hydrogen.
It also burns clean, with no air pollution — which could mean lower utility bills, healthier air, and a significant win for cities and industries looking to cut pollution and protect public health.
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This kind of exploration is still in its early days, but pilot projects are already underway in places such as France, the U.S., and Australia. If successful, this discovery could help reshape the global energy landscape — one soufflé at a time.
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