What’s Inside
The Drill Down
April 29, 2026
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Director's Letter
Hello and Happy Spring! It has been a while since The Drill Down hit your inbox, but our team has been busy championing geothermal energy. As I reflect on our work and the new season, I want to take a moment to highlight our path ahead and the power of collaboration that fuels our progress.
Over the past year, we’ve been undergoing changes as geothermal steps even further into the spotlight—creating new possibilities for the heat beneath our feet. As many of you know, the Geothermal Technologies Office is now the Office of Geothermal (OG) and is part of a newly formed office at the Department of Energy: The Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO). We’re working closely with our new DOE colleagues to meet the HGEO mission to “unleash the full potential of America’s hydrocarbon and geothermal resources to provide affordable, reliable, and secure energy.” We’ve started that work out of the gate, with selection announcements for our GRID initiative, which aims to quantify the value of geothermal to the grid, and for our eastern U.S. enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) pilot demonstration. We’ve also released new funding opportunities for EGS demonstrations and exploration drilling, critical materials from geothermal brines, and work in subsurface artificial intelligence (AI).
As you can see, we are hard at work on new ideas and research pathways, and we encourage you to stay tuned for updates. I also want to take a moment to acknowledge our geothermal community: as always, an important part of meeting our mission is our close partnerships and collaboration with all of you. Your hard work and dedication are critical to advancing geothermal, and we look forward to continuing to work with you to unlock the full potential of geothermal energy and create lasting energy solutions.
Warmest thoughts,
Lauren Boyd
Office of Geothermal Director
Trivia Question: In what year was the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) funding opportunity released?
$171.5 Million Announced to Expand U.S. Geothermal Energy
OG announced a funding opportunity that will support next-generation geothermal field-scale tests for electricity generation, as well as exploration drilling for characterization and potential confirmation of promising next-generation and hydrothermal prospects. Applications are due May 14. Learn more about the topic areas, expected funding, and how to apply.
OG Selects $14 Million Enhanced Geothermal Systems Demonstration Project
The $14 million project, led by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, will leverage the significant thermal resources in the Appalachian Utica Shale to assess the efficacy and scalability of EGS in the eastern United States. This project is part of OG's EGS Pilot Demonstrations initiative.
Grid Modeling Studies Opportunity Update
OG selected eight projects to receive a total of up to $9.5 million for regional grid modeling studies that quantify the potential contribution of firm geothermal power to the grid. The initiative will provide a deeper understanding of geothermal energy's economic and reliability benefits, fostering informed decision-making for future energy policies and funding.
Multistate Initiative to Expand Geothermal Power
OG has launched a 15-state effort to expand the use of geothermal power on the nation’s grid. Led by the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), the Geothermal Power Accelerator works with participating states to set statewide geothermal goals, strengthen resource mapping, and advance policies and programs that reduce project costs and address regulatory barriers. Work includes strategy sessions and policy discussions to help shape targeted state actions.
Regional Data Partnerships Initiative Begins Next Chapter
OG notified selectees in its Regional Partnerships for Geothermal Data Partnership Intermediary Agreement and negotiations are underway. Projects will help advance geothermal resource assessment and exploration, improve engagement, and help build a project pipeline.
OG Addresses Data Center Cooling with Cold UTES
An OG-funded project led by the National Laboratory of the Rockies aims to address data center cooling by incorporating Cold Underground Thermal Energy Storage (Cold UTES.) This technology reduces data center cooling loads while building more resilient infrastructure.
New Principal Investigator for Utah FORGE
The Energy & Geoscience Institute (EGI) at the University of Utah announced Dr. Kristie McLin as the new Principal Investigator of the Utah FORGE research project. Dr. Joseph Moore, who steered the project from its inception to becoming the world’s only full-scale EGS field laboratory, will assume an emeritus role.
Headlines Around DOE
$293 Million to Support Genesis Mission National Science and Technology Challenges
DOE released a $293 million Request for Application (RFA) in support of the Genesis Mission. The RFA invites interdisciplinary teams to leverage novel AI models and frameworks to address over 20 topics, including one leveraging AI tools to better understand chemical and hydrologic transport in the subsurface, evolution of fractures in the upper crust, and/or control of subsurface fractures. Phase I applications are due May 1, 2026, and Phase II applications are due May 19, 2026.
$35M for Research Collaborations with National Labs
The Office of Science’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is accepting applications for Building EPSCoR-State/DOE-National Laboratory Partnerships. These partnerships advance understanding of the physical world by supporting fundamental, early-stage energy research collaborations with DOE’s national laboratories. Pre-Applications were due March 18, 2026, and applications are due May 21, 2026.
$50 Million to Support Tribal Energy
DOE's Office of Indian Energy announced a $50 million funding opportunity to support Tribal-led community-scale energy project planning and development, and large-scale energy project planning. The opportunity includes three topic areas, all of which could include geothermal. Applications are due July 24, 2026.
Looking Ahead
World Geothermal Congress
June 8–11, 2026 | Calgary, Canada
OG and national laboratory staff will attend this year's World Geothermal Congress (WGC) in Calgary, Canada. WGC is held every three years to convene geothermal experts and stakeholders from around the globe to share discussions, networking, and innovative ideas.
June 21–24, 2026 | Tucson, Arizona
Join staff from OG at this year’s ARMA symposium! This annual event focuses on technical updates for theoretical advances and applied research in rock mechanics and geomechanics.
In Case You Missed It
DOE Announces $69 Million to Advance Critical Minerals
OG and the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office jointly announced a new funding opportunity for technologies or processes that advance domestic production and refining of critical materials. Two topics focus on critical materials extraction from geothermal brines. Letters of Intent were due April 24 and geothermal-related applications are due July 23. Stay tuned later this year for selections!
New Technology to Continuously Monitor Geothermal Energy Operations
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory recently published an article about its OG-funded work to achieve detailed, long-term monitoring of geothermal reservoirs under high-temperature conditions. This work can help scientists better understand how rock fractures form, which can inform development of geothermal reservoirs.
Market Report Highlights Geothermal Growth and Potential
OG and the National Laboratory of the Rockies released the 2025 U.S. Geothermal Market Report, which highlights marked geothermal power capacity increases, especially in the western United States, and new utility and corporate power purchase agreements that signal strong momentum for future geothermal power projects.
HGEO Assistant Secretary Gives Remarks at Stanford University
In February, HGEO Assistant Secretary Kyle Haustveit delivered remarks at the 51st Stanford Geothermal Workshop. He provided an overview of HGEO, its research priorities, and geothermal research and development at DOE.
Geothermal in the News
- U.S. Investing $171.5 Million to Commercialize Geothermal Energy | Forbes
- Mazama Energy Plans Next Drilling Phase at Newberry Geothermal Site | The Bulletin
- Utah is One of the Top States for Geothermal Energy Capacity | Utah Public Radio
- US DOE Awards $14 million to Enhanced Geothermal Pilot Project in Pennsylvania | ThinkGeoEnergy
- In Colorado, a Fossil Fuel Company Has Drilled Four Miles Deep, Toward a Geothermal Future | Colorado Public Radio
- A New Type of Geothermal Energy Found in Desert Southwest | Boise State Public Radio
- Fervo Highlights Stable Operations of Project Red Geothermal Project After 600 Days | ThinkGeoEnergy
- Geothermal Energy Turns Red Hot | MIT News
Trivia Answer: OG released the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) Funding Opportunity Announcement on July 17, 2014, and announced selections on April 27, 2015. These events kicked off DOE's flagship geothermal initiative, advancing the state of enhanced geothermal systems technology.
The Office of Geothermal (OG) e-newsletter brings the latest on funding opportunities, events, publications, & activities directly to your inbox.