The Geothermal Energy Oil and gas Demonstrated Engineering (GEODE) initiative seeks to create a consortium of experts to move the geothermal industry forward based on learnings from oil and gas.
The Geothermal Energy from Oil and gas Demonstrated Engineering (GEODE) initiative will award up to $165 million to expand U.S. geothermal energy deployment by leveraging technologies and workforce from the oil and gas industry.
Leveraging the extensive knowledge, technology, skill, and experience of the oil and gas sector will allow the geothermal industry to tackle barriers to geothermal deployment while also including fossil-fuel-based communities and workers in the transition to clean energy.
- Although the U.S. geothermal resource is vast, only a small portion of it has been developed due to unique challenges associated with subsurface environments, along with process issues of geothermal projects, such as long permitting timelines.
- The oil and gas and geothermal industries have numerous similarities that provide new opportunities for geothermal expansion—from advances in drilling and well construction to co-production possibilities in existing oil and gas basins.
GEODE Roadmap
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) GEODE initiative will initially fund a consortium of experts to develop a roadmap for addressing technology and knowledge gaps in geothermal energy, based on best practices used within the oil and gas industry.
In May 2023, GTO selected a team comprising Project Innerspace, Geothermal Rising, and the Society of Petroleum Engineers to serve as administrator for the initiative.
GEODE Research and Development
Following the roadmap creation and subject to additional appropriations, DOE will fund up to $155 million in research and development activities according to the Consortium’s roadmap.
Through industry collaboration, DOE hopes to jumpstart geothermal deployment and bring clean, reliable power to millions of American homes and businesses.
GEODE Facets
DOE expects that GEODE will be a 5-year effort, with the consortium issuing competitive solicitations for research activities beginning in its second year. These competitive solicitations will advance the goals of the initiative by conducting simultaneous research in four interrelated focus areas, called "Facets."
In this facet, the consortium will examine the technology and workflow needs of the geothermal industry and catalogue the gaps between geothermal and oil and gas in these areas. This facet will identify pathways that incorporate existing oil and gas technologies and methodologies into geothermal, and establish priorities for the most consequential gaps.
This facet seeks to overcome barriers to evaluating and using geothermal resources currently accessed by oil and gas infrastructure. This may include work towards better data availability, resource and engineering assessments, and demonstration projects that show the utility and commercial viability of producing geothermal heat and electricity from existing subsurface infrastructure.
This facet seeks to overcome barriers to evaluating and using geothermal resources currently accessed by oil and gas infrastructure. This may include work towards better data availability, resource and engineering assessments, and demonstration projects that show the utility and commercial viability of producing geothermal heat and electricity from existing subsurface infrastructure.
Consortium activities in this facet will include assessing future geothermal workforce needs and potential gaps, and determining the education and professional experiences needed to fill those gaps.
Additional Information
GEODE is part of GTO’s Hydrothermal Resources and Enhanced Geothermal Systems programs. Learn more about other GTO priorities.
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