Superhot Rock Geothermal in Alaska

The document highlights the immense potential of superhot rock geothermal energy in Alaska, noting that just 1% of the state's resource could generate over 5 million GWh of electricity. It argues that this technology offers a land-efficient, reliable source of firm power that could leverage Alaska's existing oil and gas subsurface expertise for a zero-carbon transition.

• Superhot rock geothermal is an emerging technology that pumps water into deep, hot underground rocks to produce steam for carbon-free electricity, clean hydrogen, and high-energy-intensity products. Unlike traditional geothermal, it does not require natural underground water sources and can reach miles deeper into the earth, making it potentially viable globally.
• Preliminary modeling indicates that Alaska possesses significant superhot rock resources. Specifically, 1% of Alaska's superhot rock resource could provide 624 GW of energy capacity and generate more than 5,192,888 GWh of electricity, which is 862 times the state's 2023 electricity consumption of 6,025 GWh.
• Superhot rock geothermal is highly energy-dense with low land requirements. Producing 1 GW of this energy is estimated to require approximately 12 square miles of land, significantly less than natural gas (160 sq mi), solar (180 sq mi), offshore wind (520 sq mi), or biomass (14,000 sq mi).

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Superhot Rock Geothermal in Alaska. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22150128/Alaska-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Superhot Rock Geothermal in Alaska. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22150128/Alaska-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Superhot Rock Geothermal in Alaska |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22150128/Alaska-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforcendsuperhot, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Superhot Rock Geothermal in Alaska}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22150128/Alaska-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }