He led national efforts to develop geologic hydrogen as a viable, naturally occurring, primary energy resource, positioning the U.S. at the forefront of this emerging global field.
In his role leading ARPA-E’s Geologic Hydrogen program, approximately $20 million of funding was allocated to develop transformative hydrogen production and subsurface engineering technologies. Under the MINER initiative focused on critical mineral recovery and carbon capture in mining operations, ARPA-E awarded a total of $39 million across 16 projects in 12 U.S. states.
Dr. Wicks brings over 25 years of experience across industry, startups, and academia. Prior to ARPA-E, he led external innovation at Imerys, served as VP of Research at Bayer Coatings & Colorants, and held a faculty position at the University of Southern Mississippi. He holds a Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a B.S. in Chemistry from North Dakota State University. He is named on more than 60 U.S. patents and has published widely in energy and materials science.
Dr. Wicks says, “I’m thrilled to be joining HyTerra at this pivotal moment. HyTerra is tackling one of the most exciting frontiers in clean energy with a pragmatic, science-driven approach. Natural hydrogen has the potential to offer low-cost, low-carbon energy at global scale and I’m excited to work with a team focused on turning that potential into a commercial reality. This is exactly the kind of opportunity that can reshape markets.”
HyTerra's Nemaha Project in Kansas, holds 100% owned and operated leases across the emerging Nemaha Ridge geologic hydrogen and helium play fairway. Its Geneva Project in Nebraska, is a 16% earn-in interest in a Joint Development with Natural Hydrogen Energy LLC targeting natural hydrogen and helium. Both projects could be connected via existing transport infrastructure to multiple nearby off-takers, including ammonia manufacturers, and petrochemical plants.
