DOE launched the Geothermal Center of Excellence to help connect industry to the national laboratories, drive innovation in geothermal technologies, enhance interlaboratory collaboration, and expand geothermal deployment throughout the United States.
Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office
September 3, 2026
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On September 3, 2026, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Under Secretary Kyle Haustveit joined leadership from DOE’s Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO), the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to launch DOE’s Geothermal Center of Excellence (CoE). Toby Deen from the President’s National Energy Dominance Council joined Under Secretary Haustveit at the event.
Under the oversight and direction of HGEO, NLR and NETL are creating the Geothermal CoE, which will be located on NLR’s campus in Golden, Colorado. The CoE will help connect industry to the national laboratories, drive innovation in geothermal technologies, enhance interlaboratory collaboration, and expand geothermal deployment throughout the United States.
At the launch event, DOE leadership emphasized the importance of the CoE in achieving DOE’s goal to accelerate the discovery and development of gigawatt-scale geothermal energy and position geothermal as a competitive domestic source for reliable baseload electricity generation. HGEO’s Office of Geothermal also discussed current office research, development, and demonstration, highlighting how the CoE and its collaborations will augment and build on the Office’s initiatives.
Expanding Geothermal Power Matters
The United States leads the world in geothermal electricity-generating capacity at just over 4 gigawatts (GW); however, the nation is tapping only a fraction of its total potential. DOE-funded analysis indicates the possibility of significantly more geothermal power—as much as 300 GW or more with technology and policy advances.
Cost-competitive geothermal would offer a much-needed source of firm, flexible electricity across the country. Expanding domestic generation is a crucial part of President Trump’s agenda and the Secretary’s mandate to advance energy addition and restore American energy dominance. Adding affordable, reliable energy like that from geothermal is also crucial to support human possibility throughout the world and meet the needs of data centers, industry, and communities.
Techniques from oil and gas as well as new innovations are helping the United States tap into more of its vast heat resources. At the same time, technical challenges remain to fully realize geothermal’s potential. Geothermal environments are hotter and harsher than oil and gas, so new components and tools are needed for geothermal. In addition, the geothermal industry currently drills a relatively small number of wells per year, and there’s a dearth of data about how enhanced geothermal systems perform over time. Research and data are important to derisk technologies, help projects gain access to capital, and help offtakers and utilities better understand how to integrate geothermal energy.
Supporting the Future of Geothermal
The Geothermal CoE will help realize DOE’s goals to expand geothermal power by driving innovation and serving as industry’s main entry point to the national laboratories and their range of technical and analytical expertise. An Industry Advisory Board will provide objective insight into industry-relevant geothermal research needs, accelerate industry-lab partnerships, and advise on Center priorities.
Learn more about HGEO’s geothermal research and the Geothermal CoE. For more information, contact geo.centerofexcellence@nlr.gov.
DOE’s Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office works to unleash the full potential of America’s energy resources—including coal, oil, natural gas, and geothermal—to provide affordable, reliable, and secure energy.