The Drill Down

The Drill Down

September 30, 2026  
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

Director's Letter

Hello, everyone! I am delighted to return to my role as Office of Geothermal Director, after temporarily serving as the Acting Energy Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. As I settle into autumn and look ahead to the final months of the year, I find myself reflecting on the momentum that continues to build in geothermal energy and across the Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO).

The geothermal community has been buzzing with groundbreaking exploration, new partnerships, and shared energy—much of it on full display at this year’s Geothermal Rising Conference. Our team had a wonderful time in Houston, TX, connecting with new colleagues and greeting familiar faces. The conversations reinforced the important work underway across the geothermal energy sector.

This month, I am excited to highlight the launch of our Geologic Enhanced Mapping System (GEMS) Prize, a $300,000 competition designed to help map hidden geothermal resources. GEMS invites both individual and team competitors to develop, train, and test algorithms that generate enhanced geologic datasets to support geothermal and critical mineral mapping. Also this month, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) selected 21 projects for the Next-Generation Geothermal Field Tests and Geothermal Resource Characterization and Confirmation funding opportunity. These projects will help expand geothermal energy by focusing on enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) field tests and drilling to explore for and characterize promising next-generation and hydrothermal resources. Our office looks forward to the ingenuity and innovation these projects will spark.

DOE also celebrated a key milestone this month with the launch of the new Geothermal Center of Excellence (CoE). The Center will unite expertise and world-class capabilities from across DOE’s National Laboratories to accelerate the discovery and development of gigawatt-scale geothermal energy and position geothermal as a competitive domestic source for reliable baseload power by enhancing laboratory and industry collaboration. The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) will lead the consortium, with support from the National Energy Technology Laboratory.

And on a personal note, I want to thank Sean Porse for filling in as Acting Director, ensuring continuity and providing incredible leadership throughout my tenure abroad.

With these new resources, new opportunities, and new connections, our office remains steadfast in its mission: to unlock geothermal’s full potential as a reliable, domestic energy source. As we enter a new season, I look forward to the advancements and collaboration still ahead.

Warmest thoughts,

Lauren Boyd
Office of Geothermal Director

Trivia Question: In December 1991, what software/hardware system did SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory scientists install in California?

In Case You Missed It

Office of Geothermal Attends 2026 Geothermal Rising Conference 

The Office of Geothermal attended and exhibited at the 2026 Geothermal Rising Conference in Houston, TX. DOE Under Secretary of Energy Kyle Haustveit also spoke on a panel during the event.

HGEO Travels Across Utah to See American Energy in Action 

HGEO's Acting Assistant Secretary Curt Coccodrilli and Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary John Lassek led a delegation to Utah, highlighting HGEO's broad reach and its work to support American energy production.

Under Secretary Talks Next-Gen Energy 

Utah’s Deseret News recently published an op-ed from DOE Under Secretary of Energy Kyle Haustveit. The piece discusses how EGS and other energy innovations can power a reliable, affordable, and secure next-generation U.S. energy future.