Director’s Note: This month is heating up! The Drill Down is releasing a special edition dedicated to everything you need to know about the office’s Multi-Year Program Plan (MYPP). I will be talking more about this at our quarterly webinar, which is now being held on March 7 at 3 p.m. ET.

Last week, the Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) observed National Entrepreneurship Week, a week that celebrates the entrepreneurs who serve their communities and bolster the American economy. Read the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) blog about how we support energy entrepreneurs. I want to thank YOU, our geothermal entrepreneurs, for creating and scaling new geothermal technologies that will help us advance geothermal development and deployment. YOU help us grow our economy and create new clean energy jobs.  

                                                                                   —GTO Director Susan Hamm  

GTO is investing up to $20 million in demonstrations of technical innovations that can reduce the costs and time for drilling geothermal wells in order to drive investment in geothermal energy production; improve electric grid reliability and resilience; increase access to clean, renewable power; and spur the expansion of geothermal energy.  

GTO is compiling a Teaming Partner List to facilitate the formation of new project teams for the funding opportunity. The list allows organizations who may wish to participate in an application, but do not want to apply as the prime applicant, to express their interest to other potential applicants and explore potential partners. Participation in the Teaming Partner List is not required to apply for this funding opportunity. 

Watch Deputy Assistant Secretary for Renewable Power Alejandro Moreno talk about GTO’s newest funding opportunity and the benefits that accelerating drilling has to offer.  

EERE has launched a new email list to share its funding opportunities and prizes. 

Researchers, entrepreneurs, academics, professionals, and other stakeholders are encouraged to sign up to receive information about open funding programs for all EERE’s clean energy technologies. 

Visit EERE’s Funding Opportunities webpage to subscribe and find additional resources and the latest information. 

Secretary Granholm’s Remarks in Mexico City, Mexico

Last month, Secretary Granholm visited Mexico City and met with senior Mexican leadership to discuss collaboration on geothermal energy development. Read more.

Utah FORGE Presents at International Union of Geological Sciences  

Recently, Dr. Joseph Moore, principal investigator of Utah FORGE, participated on a panel discussion as part of the International Union of Geological Sciences Energy Transition Series. This first of six energy transition events included presentations on the current state of geothermal energy and a discussion focused on ways to increase understanding and awareness of the technology. Dr. Moore addressed the challenges facing widespread adoption of geothermal energy, the potential enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) offer, and the key role Utah FORGE is playing in the advancement of research and technologies for global geothermal usage. View the presentation.  

Politico’s Morning Energy Newsletter: DOE Puts the Cash on Geothermal. The Energy Department announced a new funding program for geothermal drilling demonstration projects aimed at reducing drilling costs and the time needed to complete them. Drilling can contribute 50% of the costs of geothermal projects and supporting projects in areas with traditional reliance on fossil fuels could help the administration in its mission to help ferry local economies toward clean energy. The program will provide $20 million in competitive funding. 

StateImpact Oklahoma: OU Researchers Aim to Repurpose Abandoned Oil Wells for Geothermal Energy. Researchers at the University of Oklahoma were awarded $1.7 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to repurpose abandoned oil and gas wells for providing geothermal energy.