Testimony Before the United States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources H.R. 8665 – Supercritical Geothermal Research and Development Act and H.R. 7053 – Orphaned Well Grant Flexibility Act

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) advocates for the passage of H.R. 8665 to accelerate the development of supercritical geothermal energy, which it describes as a high-density, 24/7 carbon-free power source capable of meeting significant energy demands. CATF argues that while the bill's structure is sound, its current $5 million annual allocation is insufficient to cover even a single deep geothermal well. Additionally, the testimony supports H.R. 7053 to provide states with more flexibility in using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds for plugging orphaned wells by reducing mandatory, costly methane measurements. CATF emphasizes that the U.S. can leverage its existing oil and gas workforce and subsurface expertise to lead in next-generation geothermal innovation, competing with countries like China, New Zealand, Japan, and Iceland.

• Supercritical geothermal, or superhot rock energy, utilizes Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) and Closed Loop Geothermal Systems (CLGS) in environments exceeding the supercritical temperature of water to provide stable, grid-scale carbon-free electricity.
• The potential for superhot rock energy in the U.S. is estimated at 4.3 terawatts of clean firm power, which is 687 times the 2021 energy consumption of New York City.
• Supercritical geothermal is highly energy-dense with a low land footprint; producing 1 GW requires approximately 12 km2 (7 sq mi), whereas natural gas requires about 160 km2 (100 sq mi).
• CATF argues that the current $5 million annual funding for H.R. 8665 is inadequate, noting that this amount would not cover the cost of one deep geothermal well.
• H.R. 8665 proposes several key mechanisms to advance the industry, including a next-generation geothermal center of excellence, expanding the remit of the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE), and improving subsurface data sharing between the Department of Energy and Department of the Interior.
• Regarding H.R. 7053, CATF suggests that requiring pre- and post-closure methane measurements for all orphaned wells under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is too costly (up to $5,000 per well) and reduces the total number of wells that can be plugged.
• The U.S. is positioned to lead in geothermal innovation by applying existing subsurface expertise from the oil and gas and mining sectors, specifically in directional drilling, reservoir engineering, and well completions.

APA

Rogers, T. (2024). Testimony Before the United States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources H.R. 8665 – Supercritical Geothermal Research and Development Act and H.R. 7053 – Orphaned Well Grant Flexibility Act. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/24150642/catf-testimony-hr8665.pdf

Chicago

Rogers, Terra. Testimony Before the United States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources H.R. 8665 – Supercritical Geothermal Research and Development Act and H.R. 7053 – Orphaned Well Grant Flexibility Act. Clean Air Task Force, 2024. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/24150642/catf-testimony-hr8665.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Rogers |first1=Terra |title=Testimony Before the United States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources H.R. 8665 – Supercritical Geothermal Research and Development Act and H.R. 7053 – Orphaned Well Grant Flexibility Act |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=23 July 2024 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/24150642/catf-testimony-hr8665.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{rogers2024testimony, author = {Rogers, Terra}, title = {{Testimony Before the United States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources H.R. 8665 – Supercritical Geothermal Research and Development Act and H.R. 7053 – Orphaned Well Grant Flexibility Act}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2024}, month = jul, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/24150642/catf-testimony-hr8665.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }