“Nevada is the Saudi Arabia of geothermal,” was a frequent refrain of my former boss, Senator Harry Reid. As his traveling press secretary in 2010, I have vivid memories of touring a geothermal facility in Northern Nevada and my New England upbringing leaving me devoid of knowledge of this unusual source of power and heat. I learned a lot, and quickly, as the one-time US Senate majority leader prided himself as a champion of geothermal and extolled the potential of the industry to create jobs and serve as a source of reliable, renewable energy.
Nearly 15 years later, the geothermal industry has yet to achieve the dramatic growth that Senator Reid predicted. But thanks to an array of innovative startups forging a new path and emerging bipartisan support in Washington, DC, the industry could make dramatic strides.
Donald Trump assumes the presidency in eight weeks, a fact that inspires little optimism about much of anything. Indeed, a cloud of doom has settled over the climate community’s collective head. But beneath our feet, geothermal could be the biggest winner among renewable energy sources in this next chapter in Washington. It’s a struggle to find a more bipartisan energy source – one that’s primed to experience a pivotal period that sets it up for long-sought, dramatic growth.
Geothermal, which harnesses the Earth’s natural heat to provide energy and power, has experienced fits and starts over the last several decades. It’s long flown under the radar as solar and wind benefitted from private and public funding and a slew of favorable federal laws. While these and other industries claimed wins in the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the geothermal industry was largely left behind.
Since then, though, leading geothermal companies and advocates have been aggressively courting legislators of both parties on Capitol Hill and building ties with agency officials. These conversations generally require a bit of education before delving deeper into the many benefits of more advanced technologies that resonate all along the political spectrum.
For one, today’s geothermal is not your grandfather’s geothermal. Traditional, or hydrothermal, geothermal is only realistic in a few parts of the US where hot water is close to the Earth’s surface, largely in the West. On the other hand, Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) and Advanced Geothermal Systems (AGS), often together referred to as next-generation geothermal, have the promise to expand geothermal far beyond its traditional limitations. Both borrow technology from oil and gas to access heat far below the surface of the Earth. Some technologies will allow for drilling almost anywhere in the United States, offering a source of clean, always-on power that uses minimal land and water. The Department of Energy’s Liftoff Report published earlier this year spotlights the massive opportunity next generation geothermal provides. Achieving this type of scale would be a game changer for energy in the US.
It’s easy to understand the bipartisan appeal of this renewable energy source. Republicans appreciate the oil and gas DNA of much of the geothermal industry. Democrats value the environmental benefits, especially some of the newer technologies that don’t require fracking. Everyone likes the idea of providing good jobs to former oil and gas workers that geothermal seamlessly offers thanks to its often identical engineering and drilling techniques; geothermal can make the just transition real for thousands of Americans. A reliable, always-on, baseload power source that complements solar and wind? Yes, please. Very little water and land required? Also yes.
Geothermal can also be sited alongside data centers or other large consumers of power, obviating the need to solve the transmission challenge in these instances. This would be a big deal considering the legitimate concerns about AI and cryptocurrency’s massive energy use.
Given all the potential, it’s not surprising that bipartisan efforts to unleash geothermal have gained steam (yes, this industry offers unlimited opportunity for puns). Just last week, two bipartisan geothermal bills passed in the House. The permitting reform legislation colloquially known as Manchin-Barrasso includes many provisions from the GEO Act, which was introduced by two Republican senators – Mike Lee from Utah and James Risch from Idaho – and two Democratic senators – Martin Heinrich from New Mexico and Catherine Cortez-Masto from Nevada. Senators Lee and Heinrich in January will become the chair and ranking member, respectively, of the Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The two Western-state senators understand the industry better than most. A litany of other geothermal bills have been introduced and could advance in the next Congress.
Trump’s selection of Chris Wright to serve as his DOE secretary only reinforced optimism for geothermal’s fortunes. In his private sector work, Wright has invested in a leading enhanced geothermal company – offering a solid indicator of how he would approach geothermal if he’s confirmed by the Senate. Even oil and gas companies’ well-established influence with Trump could bode well for geothermal, because these same companies are investors in the cutting-edge geothermal startups that are leading the path forward today.
Geothermal's challenges remain, from high upfront costs to long timelines for exploration and drilling. Yet even a fraction of the federal government support that solar and wind received over the last decade-plus, from less restrictive permitting requirements to more funding for research and development, would substantially boost projections for geothermal in the years to come. And not only would western states like Senator Reid’s Nevada benefit, but every corner of the country could tap into this dynamic energy source.
Comments