Superhot Rock Geothermal in Nebraska

The document highlights Nebraska's significant superhot rock geothermal resources, noting that just 1% of this resource could provide 25 GW of energy capacity, far exceeding the state's 2023 electricity consumption of 33,571 GWh. It argues that superhot rock geothermal is a scalable, carbon-free energy source with a very low land footprint—requiring approximately 12 sq mi per 1 GW—and provides reliable 24/7 power that reduces the need for excess transmission and backup generation.

• Preliminary modeling by the Clean Air Task Force and the University of Twente indicates that Nebraska possesses substantial superhot rock resources. Specifically, 1% of the state's superhot rock resource has the potential to provide 25 GW of energy capacity, which could generate over 206,070 GWh of electricity.
• The potential energy from 1% of Nebraska's superhot rock geothermal endowment is estimated to be six times the state's 2023 electricity consumption, which was 33,571 GWh.
• Superhot rock geothermal is characterized as an energy-dense resource with significantly lower land requirements than other energy sources. Producing 1 GW of superhot rock geothermal is estimated to require roughly 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.
• Unlike traditional geothermal systems that require natural hot water near the surface, superhot rock systems reach miles deeper into the earth and do not require underground water sources, making them viable globally.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Superhot Rock Geothermal in Nebraska. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22150204/Nebraska-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Superhot Rock Geothermal in Nebraska. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22150204/Nebraska-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Superhot Rock Geothermal in Nebraska |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22150204/Nebraska-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 Nebraska}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22150204/Nebraska-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }