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Senate committee lays over bill to fund study of Minnesotas geological hydrogen potential
Summary
The Senate Energy Committee heard testimony and adopted an amendment to Senate File 29-26, which would fund a University of Minnesota study into naturally occurring "geological" hydrogen. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion.
Senate File 29-26, carried in the committee by Senator Hochschild, would provide state funding to the University of Minnesota Board of Regents for a comprehensive study of geological hydrogen resources in Minnesota.
The study would be led by the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRI) at the University of Minnesota and is intended to assess geological hydrogen deposits, environmental impacts, and industry opportunities, committee members were told.
Senator Hochschild said the proposal was aimed at keeping Minnesota competitive in a new clean-energy sector. "Minnesota has a long history of leadership and resource innovation ... Today, we have a new opportunity. We're on the forefront of transformative clean energy," she said. Rolf Wieberg, executive director of NRI, told the committee the institute has the technical expertise and national lab partnerships to undertake the work and that the effort would align with federal and industry interest. "The study is gonna look at the opportunities with geological hydrogen. It's gonna look at the environmental impacts," Wieberg said.
Committee members adopted an A1 amendment after a motion from Senator Dibble; the amendment was described by the author as incorporating stakeholder changes. The motion to adopt the amendment passed by voice vote and the committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion in an omnibus package.
Supporters framed the study as a preparatory step to inform potential future policies and regulations and said it could attract investment and jobs. Senator Hochschild noted recent findings of helium concentrations and ongoing work to update gas rules and a regulatory framework that could eventually include hydrogen.
Committee debate was limited and no formal opposition testified. Members asked whether the study would affect ongoing permitting work; Senator Hochschild and the bills supporters said the study would not impede regulatory updates and might provide information useful to those processes.
Senate File 29-26 was laid over for possible inclusion; no final funding amount or timeline for the study was adopted on the committee floor during this hearing.
