Trump administration’s policies support rapid growth of geothermal power in the United States with 1.2 GW planned by end of term

This briefing by Global Energy Monitor examines the growth potential of geothermal power in the United States under the Trump administration, noting that while wind and solar face challenges, geothermal energy has bipartisan support and technological advancements that position it for rapid expansion.

• Global Energy Monitor anticipates that 1.16 GW of geothermal capacity could come online by the end of President Trump's current term in office.
• The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has set a target of 5 GW of geothermal capacity by 2030 through its Liftoff program, with a longer-term goal of 90 GW by 2050. Additionally, the Enhanced Geothermal Shot initiative aims to reduce the cost per megawatt hour by 90% by 2035.
• Policy changes in January 2025 have expedited geothermal development, including the expansion of the Inflation Reduction Act to cover geothermal through investment and production tax credits and a new Bureau of Land Management (BLM) categorical exclusion that may save up to a year in permitting time.
• Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) are becoming more competitive due to hydraulic fracturing techniques from the oil and gas industry, which allow for development outside traditional geographic areas. There are currently more than 2 GW of EGS power plants in development in the U.S.
• Geothermal power is positioned as a critical asset for meeting the 24/7 electricity demands of artificial intelligence data centers. Examples include Google-owned data centers in Nevada served by Fervo's Project Red and partnerships between Meta and Sage Geosystems.
• Fervo Energy is a major developer in the U.S., accounting for half of the 4.3 GW of U.S. geothermal capacity currently in development and having 2.1 GW of projects in development.
• Despite geothermal growth, the document argues that the U.S. requires the 218.4 GW of prospective wind and utility-scale solar capacity to meet a projected electrical demand increase of 128 GW by 2030, with geothermal serving as a peaker plant complement.

APA

Global Energy Monitor (2025). Trump administration’s policies support rapid growth of geothermal power in the United States with 1.2 GW planned by end of term. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM-GGPT-brief-March-2025_11.pdf

Chicago

Global Energy Monitor. Trump administration’s policies support rapid growth of geothermal power in the United States with 1.2 GW planned by end of term. 2025. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM-GGPT-brief-March-2025_11.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Energy Monitor |title=Trump administration’s policies support rapid growth of geothermal power in the United States with 1.2 GW planned by end of term |date=March 2025 |url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM-GGPT-brief-March-2025_11.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalenergymonitor2025trump, author = {{Global Energy Monitor}}, title = {{Trump administration’s policies support rapid growth of geothermal power in the United States with 1.2 GW planned by end of term}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM-GGPT-brief-March-2025_11.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }