Is Idaho the future of a new clean energy source? This company hopes so

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By Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman. 

Excerpt: Idaho could be the next frontier in clean energy, according to a startup that recently got approval to move forward in its exploration for the commodity. Koloma, a natural hydrogen company that does business in Idaho as Cascade Exploration, is looking for naturally occurring underground hydrogen gas in Canyon County. It has submitted applications for two test well locations near Notus. Sharla Arledge, a spokesperson for the Idaho Department of Lands said if the applications are approved, the company would then need to submit applications for drilling permits. ...Underground hydrogen was discovered by chance when crews were digging a well in Mali in the 1980s, according to reporting from Science. Kristen Delano, a spokesperson for Koloma, told the Idaho Statesman in an interview that the discovery shocked scientists, many of whom thought hydrogen molecules were too small to collect underground. ...Proponents say it could be a breakthrough renewable energy source that replaces carbon-based energy for uses like aviation fuel, manufacturing, and energy production and storage. ...The type of hydrogen the company is searching for is created by water that seeps through the earth’s surface or rises through the core and interacts with iron-rich rock — like basalt — underground, creating gas that collects there. Unlike carbon-based energy sources, hydrogen regenerates much more quickly. The industry is still in its infancy. ...Delano said the search for hydrogen is “the new gold rush.”... 

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