DOE Selects 21 Geothermal Projects for Up to $99 Million in Funding

September 28, 2026

The U.S. Department of Energy has selected 21 projects for negotiations for more than $99 million in funding aimed at advancing next-generation geothermal technologies and identifying new geothermal resources.

Announced September 21, the initiative includes five projects focused on field-scale enhanced geothermal systems and 16 projects involving exploration drilling and resource characterization.

The EGS projects are intended to test reservoir-development technologies and methods under real-world conditions. The exploration projects are designed to improve understanding of prospective geothermal resources and reduce one of the industry's persistent development risks: committing significant capital before the quality of an underground resource is sufficiently understood.

An important component of the program is its emphasis on shared learning. DOE says data generated by the projects will be made publicly available through its Geothermal Data Repository, potentially allowing lessons from individual projects to benefit other developers and researchers.

The selections include projects involving several companies active in next-generation geothermal, including Fervo Energy, Quaise Energy and Ormat Technologies.

The funding selections remain subject to award negotiations and do not constitute final commitments by DOE.

Key Takeaway:
Federal geothermal support is increasingly targeting the gap between research and commercial deployment. Field-scale testing, exploration drilling and publicly available subsurface data could help reduce technical uncertainty across the industry rather than only at individual project sites.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy. View original press release.