Idaho’s Hydrogen Hunt Digs Into a New Energy Frontier

Koloma’s Idaho test well puts natural hydrogen on the map as investors chase proof of a cleaner energy source

15 Dec 2025

A quiet but potentially game-changing shift is taking shape deep beneath Idaho’s rocky ground. After years of research, computer models, and cautious investor optimism, natural hydrogen exploration has finally reached the drilling stage, a key leap from theory to practice.

The latest step comes from Koloma, a well-funded startup now testing whether hydrogen that forms naturally underground exists in usable concentrations. The Idaho well isn’t designed to produce fuel just yet. Its purpose is to gather the kind of data that can show whether this clean energy source can truly move from laboratory curiosity to commercial contender.

Unlike green or blue hydrogen, natural, often called “white,” hydrogen isn’t manufactured. It emerges through spontaneous chemical reactions in certain rock formations, potentially offering a clean, low carbon alternative without the massive electricity needs of synthetic hydrogen production.

Koloma’s program, supported by an estimated $300 million to $400 million in funding, reflects growing confidence among deep-pocketed backers. Strategic investors like Amazon and United Airlines are watching closely, intrigued by the prospect of tapping a self-replenishing source of hydrogen that could reshape industrial energy use and long-term decarbonization plans.

Industry experts call this a make-or-break moment. Modeling can predict possibilities, but only drilling can confirm whether nature’s own hydrogen reserves are truly accessible. The data gathered now could guide future exploration, shape new regulations, and determine whether this nascent sector moves forward or stalls.

Whatever the outcome, the effort has shifted the conversation. Natural hydrogen is no longer confined to academic journals and speculative pitch decks. It is a real experiment, financed by serious capital and grounded in rock, not theory. And if Idaho’s well yields even modest success, it could open a new frontier in clean energy exploration.