GTO Quarterly Webinar Recap
If you missed GTO’s quarterly webinar on Oct. 6, view the slides and transcript to learn more about U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and GTO news, funding opportunities, and project updates.
Questions? Email DOE.Geothermal@ee.doe.gov.
GTO Releases 2022 GTO Peer Review Report
GTO gathered a community of talented researchers and scientists for the 2022 Peer Review, an in-depth review of GTO-funded research projects that continue to push boundaries and contribute to the nation’s clean energy future. Project assessments and recommendations from teams of independent experts will provide guidance to GTO managers, staff, and project performers, as well as the broader research community. The Peer Review also serves as a public archive of GTO’s projects and a record of progress for our stakeholders. Learn more.
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Treasury Seeks Public Input on Implementing the Inflation Reduction Act’s Clean Energy Tax Incentives
The Treasury Department released a request for public comment on all of the Inflation Reduction Act’s tax provisions. We encourage the geothermal community to share your thoughts with the Treasury Department as they work to develop technical guidance on geothermal technologies covered in the Inflation Reduction Act.
University of Oklahoma Hosts Ribbon-Cutting for ReAmplify Project
In a project that has received national media attention, the University of Oklahoma’s (OU) Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy researchers are set to become the first in the world to modify retired oil wells into geothermal wells. GTO Technology Manager George Stutz spoke at OU’s ribbon-cutting event for the project and highlighted GTO’s work to leverage existing wells for geothermal energy through the Wells of Opportunity ReAmplify initiative.
After the wells—located in Tuttle, Oklahoma—are modified to produce geothermal energy, researchers will spend the next year measuring energy production to see if actual output aligns with their estimates and models, and if the wells will create enough energy to heat two nearby schools. At the conclusion of the project, researchers plan to apply for new grants and state-matching funds to make heating local schools with geothermal energy a possibility. Read about the project and learn more about Mewbourne College’s multi-disciplinary geothermal energy research.
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Winners of the Geothermal Collegiate Competition Host a Community Event
"Geothermal is the future,” said competition participant Cesar Vivas at the geothermal community event hosted by the champions of the Geothermal Collegiate Competition on Sept. 2, 2022. The Sooners Geothermal Team from the University of Oklahoma took first place in the 2022 competition. The team designed a system repurposing six abandoned oil and gas wells in Shawnee, Oklahoma, to provide clean, renewable geothermal energy for educational and municipal buildings, including sites within the Absentee Shawnee Tribe and Potawatomi Nation jurisdiction. At the community event, the champions shared lessons learned and how the competition will help shape their future. Read about the Sooners Geothermal team and the event, and stay tuned for details about the next Geothermal Collegiate Competition.
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Clean Energy Innovator Fellowship Placements
DOE announced 19 institutions that will host fellows as part of the new Clean Energy Innovator Fellowship program, a DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) effort sponsored by eight EERE offices, including GTO. The program matches recent graduates and energy professionals with public utility commissions, municipal and rural cooperative utilities, and grid operators where they will spend one to two years advancing innovative clean energy solutions. The $6 million program seeks to increase access to clean energy career opportunities and accelerate the national transition to a resilient and affordable clean energy economy. Learn more.
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DOE Issues Notice of Intent to Fund Lithium Extraction and Conversion for Strong Domestic Supply Chains
GTO and DOE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office announced their intent to issue a funding opportunity that will support research on the extraction and conversion of lithium from geothermal brines for use in lithium batteries and clean energy storage. This investment will help advance and diversify the domestic supply of lithium hydroxide, which our nation needs to meet the Biden Administration’s goals of a net-zero clean energy economy by 2050 and 50% electric vehicle adoption by 2030.
This potential funding opportunity will spur the development of domestic lithium supply and refinement capacity, help secure America’s clean energy supply chains, and increase U.S. manufacturing competitiveness abroad. This FOA may include the following Areas of Interest: Field Validation of Lithium Hydroxide Production from Geothermal Brines and Applied Research & Development for Direct Lithium Extraction from Geothermal Brines. View the Notice of Intent.
DOE Seeks Public Comment on New $1 Billion Program for Rural or Remote Communities
This RFI will inform the funding opportunity for the ERA program and is an opportunity for DOE to hear from rural or remote communities, utilities, private sector project developers, and others about what they need to improve their energy systems. Feedback to this RFI can be submitted to ERA@hq.doe.gov until Nov 28, 2022, at noon EST. Learn more on OCED Exchange.
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Clean Energy on Mine Land Workshops
Join DOE for a virtual workshop to inform the Clean Energy Demonstration Program on Current and Former Mine Lands in preparation for a future FOA. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included $500 million for demonstrating the technical and economic viability of carrying out clean energy projects, including geothermal projects, on current and former mine lands across America. The virtual workshop is set for Oct. 25–26. Register here.
Join an Informational Webinar on the EnergyTech University Prize
GTO is participating in the American-Made EnergyTech University Prize (EnergyTech UP) from DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions. EnergyTech UP is a collegiate competition challenging multidisciplinary student teams to develop and present a business plan that leverages DOE-national-laboratory-developed and other high-potential energy technologies. GTO will be awarding a $25,000 bonus prize to teams who develop the most innovative and inclusive plan. Anyone interested in competing is encouraged to register for an informational webinar on Oct. 26 at 3 p.m. ET to hear prize administrators share information about how to compete, provide ideas about energy technologies that teams can use to develop their plans, and answer questions from potential participants.
Utah FORGE Geothermal Webinar Series
GTO's Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) is inviting technology specialists and stakeholders from outside the Utah FORGE project to provide overviews of their prospects, technologies, and visions in a monthly webinar series. Utah FORGE will host these external perspectives via a webinar on the second Tuesday of each month at 11 a.m. ET. Register now and watch the first webinar in the series.
GTO’s Lithium StoryMap and the Future of Electrification
Explore the perfect tool to uncover the relationship between geothermal and lithium extraction and learn why DOE is investing in domestic research and development. Use the Lithium StoryMap to scroll through the role of lithium in renewable energy today, how the critical material is currently obtained, and why the Salton Sea region of California may prove to be a key domestic source—with a little help from geothermal energy. As lithium demand continues to grow, geothermal energy may soon play a greater role in our lives and in the green economy. Read the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s blog about the Lithium StoryMap.
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GEODE Funding Opportunity: Up to $165 Million to Expand U.S. Geothermal Energy Deployment
Under its Geothermal Energy from Oil and gas Demonstrated Engineering (GEODE) FOA, GTO expects to provide $10 million to form a consortium of experts that will develop a roadmap for addressing technology and knowledge gaps in geothermal energy by leveraging best practices from the oil and gas industry. Pending congressional appropriations, GTO will fund up to an additional $155 million in research to address recognized gaps. Read the GEODE FOA quick guide and learn more. Applications for GEODE are due Oct. 28, 2022.
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FORGE Announces up to $44 Million to Advance Enhanced Geothermal Systems
In August, FORGE announced up to $44 million for testing and evaluation of new and innovative EGS tools and technologies. Up to 17 awards may be issued under the solicitation to improve drilling, stimulation, flow testing, and reservoir analysis for EGS. Managed by the University of Utah, FORGE is GTO’s dedicated field laboratory for developing technologies to create, sustain, and monitor EGS reservoirs. The site uses testing and R&D to help reduce uncertainty and risks for commercial development of EGS technologies. For detailed information about the solicitation, visit the FORGE website.
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GTO Launches New Energy Earthshot to Slash the Cost of Geothermal Power
GTO released a new Earthshot to make enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) a widespread renewable energy option in the United States by cutting its cost by 90%, to $45 per megawatt hour, by 2035. The Enhanced Geothermal Shot seeks to unlock the Earth’s nearly inexhaustible heat resources to provide reliable, clean power to American communities and expand opportunities for a robust domestic geothermal industry. With research and innovation to advance EGS, this renewable powerhouse could power more than 40 million American homes. The Enhanced Geothermal Shot will build on GTO’s EGS research, development, and demonstration work, including FORGE. Learn more about the Enhanced Geothermal Shot.
Merry World Geothermal Day Blog
Geothermal plays an important role in DOE’s efforts to deploy innovative clean technologies that will help catapult us into a clean energy future. Read our beloved blog about all of the many reasons to love geothermal energy.
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Governor Jared Polis Shares How Colorado Mesa University Uses Geothermal Energy. The University in Grand Junction, Colorado is leading the way with geothermal heating and cooling, saving students 2% on tuition costs with clean energy through the “Heat Beneath Our Feet” initiative started by Governor Polis.
The Extraordinary Potential Value of Enhanced Geothermal Power. New research suggests that geothermal energy could play a much more dynamic and valuable role on the grid and expand much faster and farther than previously estimated.
New York’s Ambitious Goal: 1M Heat Pumps by 2030. The director of clean heating and cooling for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority discusses the need for more geothermal drillers in New York to hit a million heat pumps in 2030.
U.S. DOE Geothermal Technologies Office Publishes 2022 Peer Review Report. GTO conducted its 2022 Peer Review, fully virtual in May where 60+ projects across five technology panels were presented to 70 independent professionals who provided high-level feedback.
WATCH: New Webinar Explores Geothermal Heating and Cooling Systems. On Oct. 6 the Western Governors Association hosted a webinar with geothermal experts to discuss how the system works, what opportunities exist for replicating this technology throughout the West, and the challenges to implementation.
Research Begins on Retrofitting Oklahoma Oil Wells Into Geothermal. A research project led by the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy of the University of Oklahoma and funded by GTO seeks to retrofit four retired oil wells in a well site in Tuttle, Oklahoma into geothermal wells
OU Team Wins Big with Idea to Repurpose Oil And Gas Wells For Geothermal. At a community event with local stakeholders, the GCC champions shared lessons learned and how the competition will help shape a clean energy future —with a little help from geothermal energy.
Fervo Energy Signs 15-Year PPA with Southern California Electricity Provider. Fervo Energy has signed an agreement to supply 33 MW of baseload geothermal energy to Southern California electricity provider Clean Power Alliance for 15 years.
Play Fairway Analysis uses an approach borrowed from the oil and gas sector that reduces uncertainty for drilling by compiling and mapping multiple types of data to identify the most promising areas for geothermal exploration.
Did we miss your event or an interesting media piece? Please reach out to us at DOE.Geothermal@ee.doe.gov.
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