January 22, 2026

Helping Rural Economies

The Promise of Hydrogen I don’t see a lot of folks becoming excited about new ideas unless those ideas come fully proven, first. But… Hydrogen is starting to look like…

Key Takeaways

Hydrogen presents a new opportunity for rural communities by creating jobs and keeping profits local.
Mission-critical operations can cut fuel costs by incorporating hydrogen without the need for new equipment.
Local hydrogen production can stabilize fertilizer prices, providing economic benefits to farmers.
Hydrogen facilities require less land than renewable energy sources, preserving farmland while reducing emissions.
With hydrogen, rural America can gain control over energy development, leveraging local resources and infrastructure.

The Promise of Hydrogen

I don’t see a lot of folks becoming excited about new ideas unless those ideas come fully proven, first. But… Hydrogen is starting to look like an idea that could actually end up helping our rural economies—by strengthening the things we already do well. The Central Plains feed the world, and hydrogen fits neatly into the work we already do raising crops, running livestock, hauling freight, and keeping hard-working rural America energized. I think hydrogen may be cause for excitement.

A New Revenue Stream for Rural Communities

The Central Plains States already produce energy—ethanol, biodiesel, wind, and natural gas. Hydrogen is the next logical step. USDA leadership has made it clear that energy development is a major opportunity to bring new jobs and keep value in local communities.

Hydrogen plants—whether tied to crop residues, methane from livestock, or production from other innovative new ideas—create steady jobs for welders, operators, truck drivers, and electricians. These are the kinds of jobs that keep young folks in rural counties like Brown (KS), Gage (NE), or Holt (MO). And, unlike a stadium project, these should provide life-long employment and keep young folks local instead of heading to Kansas City or Omaha.

Further, because hydrogen facilities can be co‑op owned, the profits don’t have to leave the state. They can stay local, supporting schools, roads, and businesses.

Cutting Fuel Costs Without Replacing Every Tractor

Of course, diesel is king right now. From Kansas wheat to Nebraska cattle to Missouri soybean farms, everything runs on diesel. Hydrogen gives us a way to stretch that diesel further without forcing any of us to buy all‑new equipment.

Hydrogen is already being used in agricultural operations—grain drying, greenhouse heating, and even certain electric tractors. Research from NREL shows hydrogen fuel cells can power irrigation pumps, remote wells, and other off‑grid equipment with fewer breakdowns and cleaner operation.

This is especially important in places like western Kansas or central Nebraska, where irrigation pumps run nonstop in the summer and diesel pumping bills can make or break a season.

Local Hydrogen Means Local Fertilizer

We all depend heavily on ammonia fertilizer for our corn. Guess what? Ammonia is made from hydrogen. Right now, most ammonia is produced by large conglomerates, and we pay whatever the market decides. Heck, the price may even be manipulated by the largest producers.

The International Energy Agency notes that hydrogen is the key feedstock for ammonia production, and shifting to local hydrogen can stabilize fertilizer supply and pricing. For states where fertilizer is one of the top annual expenses, this is a major economic stabilizer.

It seems to me that local hydrogen = local ammonia = local control = helping rural economies.

Powering Operations

Hydrogen fuel cells can power irrigation systems—something especially important in Kansas and Nebraska, where center‑pivot irrigation covers millions of acres. H₂ fuel cells can also run remote livestock waterers, well pumps, and backup generators without the noise and maintenance headaches of diesel.

Also, something near and dear to me (see my other website) hydrogen also boosts drone operations. Companies like Doosan are already flying hydrogen fuel‑cell drones with far longer endurance than battery models. That’s a big deal for large‑acreage scouting, spraying, and mapping across the Midwest.

Strengthening Interstate Transport & Grain Hauling

Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri are freight states. Grain, cattle, fertilizer, seed, and equipment all move by truck. Hydrogen‑powered trucks—either fuel‑cell or hydrogen‑combustion—offer long range and fast refueling, which fits the realities of rural hauling.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s hydrogen hub program highlights the Midwest as a prime region for hydrogen fueling corridors along I‑29, I‑35, and I‑70 (U.S. Department of Energy, 2023). This will direct hydrogen investment to flow into our rural counties.

Attracting New Industry

I don’t think of hydrogen as only a fuel—it’s really a building block for manufacturing. It seems to me that Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri have the land, water, and workforce to attract:

Fertilizer plants
Chemical manufacturing
Metal fabrication
Food processing facilities (ahem, Tyson)
Equipment manufacturing

These industries don’t need skyscrapers—they need space, utilities, and reliable energy. Rural counties can offer all three.

Cleaner Operations Without Losing Farmland

Hydrogen facilities take up far less land than wind or solar farms. They don’t remove prime farmland from production, and they reduce emissions from tractors, trucks, and irrigation engines. Who could complain?

Cleaner operations also help lower the carbon intensity of transporting crops—something that’s becoming increasingly important for ethanol plants in Kansas and Nebraska and for transport along the Missouri River.

Putting Rural America in the Driver’s Seat

I believe that Hydrogen gives rural communities something we maybe haven’t had in a long time: control. Instead of being told what energy projects will be built in our counties, which distributions lines we will be forced to allow across our land, which wind farms will dot our horizon, we could pre-empt that and choose to lead the next wave of energy development.

Hydrogen fits the strengths of the Central Plains States:

mechanical know‑how
strong co‑op culture
abundant land
existing energy infrastructure
agricultural byproducts that can become fuel

It’s not about chasing trends. It’s about using what we already have to build something stronger for the next generation. And, in the process, helping rural economies thrive.

Was this informative? Take a look through my other articles to learn even more!