Earth Energy Innovation Supporting the Research, Development, Demonstration, and Deployment (RDD&D) of Next-Generation Geothermal Energy

The document argues that next-generation geothermal technologies, particularly superhot rock (SHR) energy, could provide cost-competitive 24/7 renewable electricity but are currently hindered by permitting bottlenecks, high capital costs, and research silos. It recommends expanding permitting capacity at the Department of the Interior, providing targeted financial incentives, establishing a public-private research agenda for 400°C+ conditions, and creating a new superhot field testing site to complement the existing FORGE site in Utah. Additionally, it calls for a dedicated program area within the Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) to focus on high-temperature innovation and the improvement of shared data resources like the Geothermal Data Repository.

• Permitting and siting are major bottlenecks for geothermal deployment; a hypothetical scenario for a project in the western U.S. estimated that environmental review and permitting could take between 6 and 13 years.
• Current federal financial incentives, including those from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, are insufficient for high-capital-cost next-generation geothermal projects. In contrast, Colorado has implemented a state-level Geothermal Electricity Tax Credit providing up to 50% for investment and $0.003/kWh for production.
• Superhot rock (SHR) development is hindered by siloed research and development, where companies and labs focus on isolated technology areas (such as sensors or cements), creating a complex web of intellectual property that prevents integrated testing.
• There is a critical need for a field-testing site capable of handling 400°C+ conditions. While the FORGE site in Utah is valuable for low-to-mid-temperature systems, it may not be suitable for superhot rock testing.
• The U.S. is currently trailing international partners in superhot rock innovation, with Japan, New Zealand, Italy, and the EU (through Horizon 2020 initiatives like DEEPEN and DESCRAMBLE) leading research projects.
• To achieve cost-competitiveness with fossil fuels without relying on permanent subsidies, the document recommends that the Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) establish a dedicated program area for high-temperature (SHR) innovation.
• Existing subsurface data repositories are fragmented; the document proposes improving the Geothermal Data Repository (GDR) and directing the U.S. Geological Survey to drill deep exploration boreholes deeper than 8 kilometers to provide control points for heat mapping.

APA

Hill, J., & Garth, A. (2024). Earth Energy Innovation Supporting the Research, Development, Demonstration, and Deployment (RDD&D) of Next-Generation Geothermal Energy. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/resource/policy-brief-earth-energy-innovation/

Chicago

Hill, Jenna, and Ann Garth. Earth Energy Innovation Supporting the Research, Development, Demonstration, and Deployment (RDD&D) of Next-Generation Geothermal Energy. Clean Air Task Force, 2024. https://www.catf.us/resource/policy-brief-earth-energy-innovation/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hill |first1=Jenna |last2=Garth |first2=Ann |title=Earth Energy Innovation Supporting the Research, Development, Demonstration, and Deployment (RDD&D) of Next-Generation Geothermal Energy |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=8 February 2024 |url=https://www.catf.us/resource/policy-brief-earth-energy-innovation/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hill2024earth, author = {Hill, Jenna and Garth, Ann}, title = {{Earth Energy Innovation Supporting the Research, Development, Demonstration, and Deployment (RDD\&D) of Next-Generation Geothermal Energy}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2024}, month = feb, url = {https://www.catf.us/resource/policy-brief-earth-energy-innovation/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }