DOE Allocates $99 Million to 21 Geothermal Development Projects

The U.S. Department of Energy announced more than $99 million for 21 projects selected to advance geothermal energy development across the United States. The funding is tied to projects that will conduct field-scale tests of next-generation geothermal technologies and exploration drilling to characterize and potentially confirm promising geothermal resources.

"These projects will empower American innovators to unlock the tremendous geothermal resources beneath our feet," said DOE Under Secretary of Energy Kyle Haustveit. "Under President Trump's leadership, we're advancing next-generation geothermal technologies that can lower costs, strengthen American energy dominance, and turn more of our vast domestic geothermal resources into reliable and affordable power."

The 21 projects are divided into two focus areas. Five projects will conduct field-scale enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) tests to validate technologies under real-world conditions, while 16 additional projects will conduct exploration drilling to identify and characterize promising next-generation geothermal resources. Together, these efforts are intended to reduce technical and development risk and provide information needed to support future commercial projects and investment.

Data generated by the projects will be publicly available through DOE's Geothermal Data Repository (GDR), giving industry, researchers, and other stakeholders access to information from the field tests and geothermal exploration activities. Public access can extend the value of the projects beyond individual sites by informing future technology development and geothermal exploration across the industry.

Selection for award negotiations does not constitute a commitment by DOE to issue an award or provide funding. Before funding is issued, DOE and the applicants will undergo a negotiation process, and DOE may cancel negotiations and rescind the selection for any reason during that time.