The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a $171.5 million funding opportunity aimed at advancing geothermal energy in the United States. The initiative will support large-scale field tests for electricity generation and exploration drilling to identify and confirm new geothermal resources.
DOE Assistant Secretary of the Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office Kyle Haustveit stated, “Work under this opportunity will directly support our commitments to advance energy addition, reduce energy costs for American families and businesses, and unleash American energy dominance and innovation. Thanks to President Trump’s America First Energy Agenda, these demonstrations and drilling activities will help us realize the enormous potential of geothermal to spur domestic manufacturing, enable data center growth, and provide affordable, reliable, and secure energy solutions nationwide.”
The funding opportunity covers six topic areas with varying levels of financial support expected. In its first phase, applications are being accepted for two topics: enhanced geothermal systems field tests and drilling for next-generation hydrothermal resource characterization or confirmation.
Currently, the United States leads globally in geothermal electricity capacity with about four gigawatts installed. However, DOE analysis indicates that there is potential for at least 300 gigawatts of dependable geothermal power on the U.S. grid by 2050. This funding aims to reduce risks associated with developing new geothermal sites across the country—an approach intended to attract private investment and encourage industry growth.
Interested parties must submit Letters of Intent by March 27, 2026; full applications are due April 30, 2026.
This announcement follows other recent DOE efforts supporting clean energy initiatives. For example, in July 2022 the department announced a Notice of Intent for a $225 million program funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to implement updated building energy codes designed to improve resilience and efficiency (https://www.energy.gov/articles/biden-harris-administration-launches-225-million-program-lower-utility-bills-through-more). Additionally, in July 2022 DOE introduced a $96 million opportunity focused on decarbonizing transportation through expanded electric vehicle charging infrastructure (https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-announces-96-million-advancing-clean-vehicle-technologies-reduce-carbon-emissions). The agency also reported launching over 140 programs supporting President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative to ensure that federal investments benefit disadvantaged communities (https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-announces-more-140-programs-supporting-president-bidens-justice40-initiative).
For more information about this geothermal funding opportunity or ongoing research efforts within DOE’s Office of Geothermal Technologies, visit their official website.
