The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is committed to sharing resources that help foster understanding of energy and build up the STEM-skilled workforce—people skilled in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics—that is needed to deliver on the DOE mission to advance energy science and innovation. DOE maintains a STEM website to house everything DOE has to offer on STEM training and education for students, educators, professionals, and skilled workers, and also offers searchable informational STEM resources related to DOE’s mission areas to highlight available workshops, training, career exploration maps, and more.
The Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) is also committed to creating and sharing educational resources to help broaden understanding of geothermal energy and its uses. Explore the collection of resources below for lesson plans, journeys underground, opportunities to visit national laboratories, and more!
Geothermal 101
Geothermal Basics. Get a plain language introduction to geothermal energy, its benefits and growth potential, and how the GTO advances geothermal technologies.
Electricity Generation. Learn how different kinds of power plants tap into geothermal resources. The United States has the most electricity-generating geothermal capacity in the world, including the largest geothermal field: The Geysers. Just north of San Francisco, California, Calpine Corporation operates 13 geothermal power plants that collectively generate 725 megawatts (MW) of electricity, enough to power a city the size of San Francisco! Learn how geothermal steam is turned into energy, and explore the historic timeline at The Geysers and find out how to book a tour.
What is Geothermal? Fact Sheet. Download this fact sheet to learn what this source of energy is, what it provides, and how we can harness the heat beneath our feet for heating, cooling, power generation, and energy storage.
What are Geothermal Heat Pumps? Fact Sheet. Geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) are efficient systems for heating and cooling that can be installed in all 50 states. Learn how GHPs work, what types of GHP systems are available, and seven reasons why GHPs might be a perfect solution for your heating and cooling needs.
GTO’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Can we run out of geothermal energy? What student opportunities are there in geothermal energy? What is the visual impact of geothermal technologies? Find answers to these questions and more in GTO’s FAQs.
Lithium Storymap. Explore this interactive resource to find out how geothermal energy can help us secure a domestic supply of lithium, a critical material vital to the nation’s energy future.
Geothermal Well Storymap. Take a journey down a geothermal well to learn what Earth's subsurface looks like, how drilling a well works, and how deep we drill to harness Earth's heat and bring it back to the surface for power generation.
U.S. Geothermal Resource Maps. View maps from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) illustrating geothermal power plants, resources for enhanced geothermal systems, and hydrothermal sites.
Energy Kids – Geothermal. Aimed at kids, this site appeals to audiences of all ages and covers geothermal basics, where geothermal can be found, uses of geothermal energy, geothermal power plants, geothermal heat pumps, and geothermal energy and the environment.
Energy Explained – Geothermal. The adult version of the Energy Kids site above.
Classroom Activities and Lesson Plans
Utah FORGE Teacher Resources. GTO partnered with our colleagues at Utah FORGE and the University of Utah College of Education to create a curriculum that can be used in K-12 classrooms. Get the lesson plans, teaching modules, webinars, and opportunities to schedule a classroom visit from FORGE team members.
Geothermal Video Resources
DOE Energy 101 Videos: Geothermal. Watch DOE’s Energy 101 video on geothermal energy to learn how the heat beneath our feet can generate renewable electricity in three different ways. Also check out the Energy 101 video on GHPs to explore the benefits of geothermal heat pumps and the science behind how they provide an energy-efficient heating and cooling alternative for homes and businesses.
What is a National Laboratory Scientist? Hunter Knox, a research scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), tells us what a scientist at a national laboratory does... and why it matters!
How Do You Lead Underground Projects? Watch to learn what it takes to be a field coordinator and task lead of a hydraulic stimulation project who coordinates underground field activities and seismic imaging.
Sanford Underground Research Facility’s Video Collection. Explore virtual tours and Deep and Deeper talks hosted by Sanford Lab’s staff.
How Fracturing Works
- PNNL Videos on Fracturing, Injection, and Imaging. Get a behind-the-scenes look at PNNL’s Pressure Control System, the lab’s work in Electrical Resistance Tomography for Imaging Fluid Flow in Rocks to advance understanding of how fractures are generated, and the lab’s work in Hydraulic Fracturing and State of Stress to improve capabilities to connect wells in enhanced geothermal systems.
- LBNL’s Monitoring of Rock Fractures. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) developed an instrument to help scientists identify ways to improve enhanced geothermal systems technologies. Watch how the tool monitors rock fractures and how fluid flows through subsurface rock.
- SNL’s Hydraulic Fracturing System. Get an in-depth look at Sandia National Laboratories’ (SNL) hydraulic fracturing system and learn how it works!
Tour a National Laboratory
DOE’s 17 national laboratories are committed to advancing STEM in the nation’s schools—in fact, each lab offers STEM materials and resources at this hub: Resources from the National Laboratories.
Explore the information below to find out how you can experience these world-class research facilities first-hand, or take a virtual road trip without leaving your home or classroom.
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL)
Upton, NY
Check out BNL's Summer Sundays Virtual Tours from 2021, featuring speakers from a variety of career perspectives, professional experiences, and scientific interests. Or request to visit in person – groups of 10-20 college students or adults can sign up to tour three of BNL's facilities.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)
Berkeley, CA
LBNL offers a variety of tours highlighting the lab’s history, cutting-edge facilities, and ground-breaking discoveries, including educational tours intended for K-12 audiences. You can also watch a recorded tour of the Rock Dynamics and Imaging Lab with scientist Dr. Timothy Kneafsey.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Golden, CO
NREL offers field trips, tours, and classroom visits for K-12 students. Explore options for walking tours of the campus, class visits to perform hands-on experiments with NREL researchers, and much more.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
Oak Ridge, TN
ORNL provides virtual tours of 19 facilities and also offers a $15 bus tour that includes the on-campus Center for Computational Sciences for an introduction to the supercomputer, Frontier, as well as the nearby American Museum of Science and Energy, K-25 History Center, and New Hope Visitor Center.
Resource Hubs
GeoBridge. Learn how geothermal can be used for power production, heating, and cooling, and find out more about exciting new technologies that can bring geothermal to Americans nationwide.
Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE). DSIRE is a comprehensive source of information on state, federal, local, and utility incentives and policies that support renewable energy and energy efficiency.
