Superhot Rock Geothermal in Oregon

The document highlights superhot rock geothermal as a scalable, zero-emission energy source that could significantly exceed Oregon's current electricity needs. It emphasizes the technology's low land footprint and its ability to provide constant 'firm power' to the grid, supporting Oregon's goal of 100% clean energy by 2040.

• Superhot rock geothermal is an emerging technology that pumps water into deep underground rocks to produce steam for carbon-free electricity, clean hydrogen, and other high-energy products. Unlike traditional geothermal, it does not require natural underground water sources, making it potentially viable globally.
• Preliminary modeling indicates that Oregon possesses vast superhot rock resources; just 1% of this resource could provide 330 GW of energy capacity and generate over 2,743,198 GWh of electricity. This amount is 47 times Oregon's 2023 electricity consumption of 57,985 GWh.
• Superhot rock geothermal is highly energy-dense with a significantly lower land footprint 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.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Superhot Rock Geothermal in Oregon. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22150217/Oregon-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Superhot Rock Geothermal in Oregon. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22150217/Oregon-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Superhot Rock Geothermal in Oregon |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22150217/Oregon-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 Oregon}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22150217/Oregon-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }