Superhot Rock Geothermal in Georgia

The document highlights that just 1% of Georgia's superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 18 GW of energy capacity, exceeding the state's 2023 electricity consumption of 142,029 GWh. It argues that superhot rock geothermal offers a land-efficient, carbon-free, and firm power source that could reduce the need for extensive new transmission infrastructure compared to variable renewables.

• Preliminary modeling indicates that Georgia possesses significant superhot rock resources; specifically, 1% of this resource could provide 18 GW of energy capacity and generate over 153,388 GWh of electricity.
• The energy potential from 1% of Georgia's superhot rock geothermal resource is greater than the state's total electricity consumption in 2023, which was 142,029 GWh.
• Superhot rock geothermal is characterized as an energy-dense resource with significantly lower land requirements than other energy sources. Producing 1 GW requires approximately 12 sq mi of land, whereas solar requires 180 sq mi, natural gas 160 sq mi, offshore wind 520 sq mi, and biomass 14,000 sq mi.
• As a source of clean firm power available 24/7, superhot rock geothermal can optimize existing grid infrastructure and reduce the need for backup generation and new transmission. A study in California indicated that including clean firm power could reduce new transmission requirements by one-third.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Superhot Rock Geothermal in Georgia. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22150151/Georgia-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Superhot Rock Geothermal in Georgia. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22150151/Georgia-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Superhot Rock Geothermal in Georgia |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22150151/Georgia-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 Georgia}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22150151/Georgia-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }