Renaissance Philanthropy's Chimaera Fund is supporting the development of a research and demonstration effort with the United States Air Force focused on geologic hydrogen exploration, production, storage, and use at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas, and Malmstrom Air Force Base in Cascade County, Montana.
The objective is to evaluate the techno-economic feasibility, regulatory pathways, and near-term deployment opportunities for geologic hydrogen in the United States, with a particular emphasis on practical, field-grounded insights that can inform future demonstrations at these and other Air Force base locations. This RFI invited brief expressions of interest and perspectives from organizations that may wish to contribute to the effort.
This RFI was issued solely for information gathering and program design purposes. It did not constitute a solicitation, request for proposals, or commitment to fund or contract with any respondent. Submissions closed on March 6, 2026; responses informed the selection of the initiative's initial demonstration partners, announced in April 2026.
Technical, operational, or regulatory experience relevant to geologic hydrogen exploration, production, storage, and use — including techno-economic assessment, federal and state regulatory policy, and field operations.
Access or insight related to existing or planned commercial hydrogen wells, assets, or closely related infrastructure within approximately 200 miles of the two Air Force Bases.
Out of scope: Funding requests or proposals — this RFI was for information gathering and program design only.
Out of scope: Manufactured hydrogen production pathways (electrolysis, methane reforming, or pyrolysis) not connected to geologic hydrogen exploration, production, storage, or use.
Interested parties were invited to submit up to three pages addressing the applicable areas below. Not all areas required responses — high-level descriptions were sufficient at this stage.
How could your organization support technical analysis, including input to or execution of techno-economic assessments (TEAs) for geologic hydrogen exploration, production, storage, and/or use?
What key technical assumptions, sensitivities, or uncertainties do you believe are most important for estimating the hourly and lifetime hydrogen production of a well, and the all-in cost of hydrogen?
What data, models, or prior analyses could you contribute to inform cost, performance, or scalability?
Could your organization provide access or insight related to existing or planned commercial hydrogen wells, assets, or closely related infrastructure within approximately 200 miles of the two Air Force Bases associated with this program?
What experience does your organization have with relevant equipment for hydrogen production and storage? High-level descriptions are sufficient — detailed site data is not expected at this stage.
Based on your experience, what are the key state and federal regulatory hurdles relevant to geologic hydrogen exploration, production, or storage?
Which permitting timelines, approvals, or agencies may represent critical path risks?
Which regulatory uncertainties or gaps merit early attention in a government-supported program? Responses may reference prior experience in hydrogen, natural gas, CO₂, helium, or other subsurface gas or geothermal activities and key relationships.
What level of effort would be required for your proposed contribution?
What are approximate cost ranges or key cost drivers (e.g. staff time, field access, data acquisition)? Detailed pricing is not required at this stage.
No. Submissions closed on Friday, March 6, 2026.
No. This RFI was issued solely for information gathering and program design purposes. It did not constitute a solicitation, request for proposals, or commitment to fund or contract with any respondent.
The RFI attracted nearly 30 responses from across the geologic hydrogen ecosystem — exploration companies, national laboratories, university research groups, sensing and detection firms, and engineering consultancies. Responses informed the selection of HyTerra, Helix Exploration PLC, and Prometheus Hydrogen as the initiative's initial demonstration partners, announced in April 2026.
All information provided was treated as non-confidential to the extent permitted by law, unless clearly marked otherwise.
Thank you to everyone who responded. Questions about this RFI or the program can be sent to GeoH2@renphil.org.
A philanthropic fund connecting industry, government, and academia to responsibly and rapidly scale geologic hydrogen by the 2030s.
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