Geothermal Success Stories

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The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's (EERE) successes in finding, accessing, and using U.S. geothermal resources effectively and consistently pave the way for widespread adoption of this energy resource. Explore EERE's geothermal success stories below.

December 7, 2018
EERE Success Story—University of Oklahoma Scientists Crack the Case Wide Open for Enhanced Geothermal Systems
Researchers at the University of Oklahoma conducted a rock fracturing experiment that showcased the potential for enhanced geothermal systems.
May 23, 2017
Geothermal heat pump systems allow homeowners and businesses to use the heat under their feet for cooling and heating their buildings. The Energy Department supports research to make this energy source more affordable and accessible.
EERE Success Story—Energy Department Working to Reduce Costs, Increase Use of Geothermal Heat Pumps
Geothermal heat pumps can be used to heat and cool residential, commercial, and institutional buildings, providing consumers with significant energy s
April 17, 2017
The photo above is a view "underground". This Real-time Four-Dimensional Subsurface Imaging Software created at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory utilizes E4D-RT to image fractures in real time. This software provides faster, more accurate interpretations of data from simulation models, and improves the cost competitiveness of EGS development.
EERE Success Story—“Seeing Underground” to Advance Geothermal Energy
Energy sources originating from beneath the Earth’s surface satisfy over 80% of total U.S. energy needs, and a key energy challenge today is to e...
December 21, 2016
Seismic sensors ready to deploy in northern Nevada, to help identify new geothermal plays. Photo Courtesy | Optim Software
EERE Success Story—GTO Funding Supports Push to Identify New Geothermal Plays
The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Geothermal Technologies Office reported completion last week of seismic data acquisition at two key geothermal s...
November 30, 2016
The Salton Sea region is one of North America's prime sources of lithium. | Photo Courtesy: Pure Energy
EERE Success Story—Geothermal Technology to Help Meet High Lithium Demand
EERE Success Story—Geothermal Technology to Help Meet High Lithium Demand
August 3, 2016
Photo Courtesy: Trabits Group
EERE Success Story—Geothermal Wells: Advancing the Technology
EERE Success Story—Geothermal Wells: Advancing the Technology
June 16, 2016
The RRG-9 ST-1 wellhead fitted with a lubricator. A distributed temperature sensor was run through the lubricator to measure well bore temperatures.
EERE Success Story—Geothermal Technology Breakthrough in Idaho: Building Upon Previous EGS Accomplishments
EERE Success Story—Geothermal Technology Breakthrough in Idaho: Building Upon Previous EGS Accomplishments
May 12, 2016
Source: Kirby Baier of Continental Resources
EERE Success Story—DOE-Funded Project is First Permanent Facility to Co-produce Electricity from Geothermal Resources at an Oil and Gas Well
EERE Success Story—DOE-Funded Project is First Permanent Facility to Co-produce Electricity from Geothermal Resources at an Oil and Gas Well
May 14, 2015
Through funding by the Energy Department, Sandia National Laboratories have refined a useful percussive hammer tool for harsh geothermal applications. Source: Sandia
EERE Success Story—Percussive Hammer Enables Geothermal Drilling
EERE Success Story—Percussive Hammer Enables Geothermal Drilling
May 6, 2015
The Stillwater geothermal plant is the first hybrid solar geo facility in the nation. In 2014 Enel Green Power added 2 MW of concentrating solar power to the existing geothermal plant and solar photovoltaic field, for a total installed capacity of ~60 MW. Source: Enel Green Power North America
EERE Success Story—Optimizing Geothermal with Geo-Solar Hybrid Systems
EERE Success Story—Optimizing Geothermal with Geo-Solar Hybrid Systems
April 9, 2015
The Geysers geothermal complex, where the Energy Department’s geothermal exploration at Caldwell Ranch is located, remains the largest operating geothermal field in the world. Caldwell Ranch has achieved a first-ever replicable strategy to reopen an abandoned steam field there, with implications for development in other regions of California as well. Source: Geothermal Resources Council
EERE Success Story—DOE and Calpine Corporation Tap Geothermal Energy from Abandoned Steam Wells
EERE Success Story—DOE and Calpine Corporation Tap Geothermal Energy from Abandoned Steam Wells
March 19, 2015
Sunrise at Pilgrim Hot Springs outside of Nome, Alaska. | Photo courtesy of CPike, Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP).
EERE Success Story—Geothermal Technology Breakthrough in Alaska: Harvesting Heat below Boiling Temperatures
EERE Success Story—Geothermal Technology Breakthrough in Alaska: Harvesting Heat below Boiling Temperatures
March 17, 2014
EERE Success Story—Iowa: West Union Green Transformation Project
The City of West Union, Iowa, installed a closed-circuit geothermal heating and cooling system designed to heat and cool 330,000 square feet of mix...
November 6, 2013
EERE Success Story—Iowa: Geothermal System Creates Jobs, Reduces Emissions in Rural Community
EECBG grant allows city to heat downtown area using geothermal power.
August 22, 2013
EERE Success Story—Energy Department Develops Roadmap to Help Spur Geothermal Energy Development
Geothermal Regulatory Roadmap will help developers navigate regulatory requirements at every level of government to deploy geothermal energy projec...
August 22, 2013
EERE Success Story—Northern California: Innovative Exploration Technologies Yield Geothermal Potential
First-ever achievement to re-open an abandoned steam field, validating universally applicable technologies.
August 21, 2013
EERE Success Story—Nevada: Geothermal Brine Brings Low-Cost Power with Big Potential
Utilizing EERE funds, ElectraTherm developed a geothermal technology that will generate electricity for less than $0.06 per kilowatt hour.
August 21, 2013
EERE Success Story—California: Next-Generation Geothermal Demonstration Launched
First-of-its-kind achievement successfully demonstrates that EGS technologies are commercially viable.
August 21, 2013
EERE Success Story—Readily Available Data Help to Overcome Geothermal Deployment Barriers
The National Geothermal Data System is based on a DOE strategic planning directive to employ the most advanced informatics and ensure that the geot...
May 21, 2013
EERE Success Story—California: Geothermal Plant to Help Meet High Lithium Demand
Using an EERE investment, Simbol Materials is co-producing electric vehicle batteries from co-produced fluids.
May 16, 2013
EERE Success Story—Nevada Deploys Grid-Connected Electricity from Enhanced Geothermal Systems
Ormat Technologies develops first commercial EGS project to supply electricity to the grid.
April 18, 2013
EERE Success Story—Colorado Firm Develops Innovative Materials for Geothermal Systems
Company develops new techniques for geothermal energy extraction and well monitoring.
April 18, 2013
EERE Success Story—New Geothermal Exploration and Management Tools
Colorado School of Mines developing tools to enable discovery and management of geothermal resources.
April 9, 2013
EERE Success Story—Oregon: DOE Advances Game-Changing EGS Geothermal Technology at the Newberry Volcano
An AltaRock demonstration project will produce geothermal energy from hot, dry underground rock.