Key facts
- The US Department of Energy will award up to $99 million to 21 projects for geothermal energy development.
- Five projects will focus on enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) technology field tests.
- Sixteen projects will concentrate on exploration drilling to identify geothermal resources.
- Fervo Energy was selected for two projects, including an EGS demonstration in Idaho and exploration drilling in Nevada.
- Data generated by the projects will be made publicly available through the DOE's Geothermal Data Repository.
The US Department of Energy announced on Monday that it has selected 21 projects to receive up to $99 million in funding to advance geothermal energy development. Geothermal energy, a source of continuous power, is gaining traction among investors and energy companies as developers adapt oil and gas drilling techniques to harness underground heat for electricity generation.
The selected projects will conduct field-scale tests of next-generation geothermal technologies and exploration drilling aimed at identifying promising geothermal resources across the United States. Five of these projects will focus on enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) technologies, while the remaining 16 will concentrate on exploration drilling. Among the recipients is Fervo Energy, which secured funding for two projects: an EGS demonstration in Idaho and exploration drilling in Nevada. Other companies chosen include Quaise Energy, Zanskar Geothermal, XGS Energy, and Invenergy. The data generated from these projects will be made publicly accessible through the DOE's Geothermal Data Repository to aid future technological advancements and resource exploration.