United States

U.S. Department of Energy's Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO)

DOE-logo


The U.S. Department of Energy's Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) works to reduce costs and risks associated with geothermal development by supporting innovative technologies that address key exploration and operational challenges. By advancing the value stream for grid (electricity) production and direct-use applications, GTO aims to make geothermal energy a cost-competitive, widely available, and geographically diverse component of the U.S. energy mix. 

GTO unites with the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO), the Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO), and the Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) to support Renewable Power within the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE). Collectively the Renewable Power offices work to advance EERE's key policy areas including energy affordability, energy integration, and energy storage.

To help geothermal operators reduce risk and cost, GTO supports early-stage research and development in key areas such as:

  • Subsurface exploration, characterization, and engineering;
  • Drilling;
  • Maximizing geothermal resource value through technology advancements.

Research projects align with GTO's mission of strengthening the body of knowledge upon which industry can accelerate the deployment of innovative geothermal technologies. Current and future projects further align with the newly-released GeoVision report, a detailed assessment of domestic barriers and opportunities looking ahead to 2050. The GeoVision analyses culminate with a roadmap that outlines critical steps in achieving geothermal energy deployment objectives and goals.

Lead Person:

Lauren W. Boyd is the Program Manager of the Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) program at the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. In this role, Lauren oversees all activities related to international collaboration and EGS, including strategic planning, formulation, and project execution of a broad RD&D portfolio. This portfolio includes EGS demonstration projects, research and development projects, and new technology initiatives, such as the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE), which focuses on EGS validation, optimization and replicability at scale.

The United States of America-  DoE (Department of Energy)

 

 GTO joined GEOTHERMICA Consortium in 2019 together with Norway.