41 JULY 2023 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Bringing Gas and Oil Technology to the Geothermal Industry Adapted from Information by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) The DOE announced it will award up to $165 million to expand U.S. geothermal energy deployment by leveraging technologies from the gas and oil industry. The Geothermal Energy from Oil and Gas Demonstrated Engineering (GEODE) initiative is providing $10 million to form a consortium of experts to develop a roadmap to address technology and knowledge gaps in geothermal energy, based on best practices used within the gas and oil industry. They will use the roadmap to fund up to an additional $155 million in research to address the gaps. The consortium membership will consist of key industry partners in both the geothermal and gas and oil industries. “The U.S. has incredible, untapped geothermal potential beneath our very feet, which can be harnessed to meet our energy demands with a round-the-clock, clean renewable resource,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “Leveraging the extensive knowledge, technology, skill, and experience of the oil and gas sector is the perfect way to tackle barriers to geothermal deployment while also giving fossil-fuel-based communities and workers a role in the transition to clean energy.” Although U.S. geothermal resources are vast, only a small portion have been developed due to unique challenges associated with subsurface environments, along with process issues, such as long permitting timelines. The gas and oil industry has a lot of similarities to the geothermal industry providing new opportunities for geothermal expansion - from advances in drilling and well construction to coproduction possibilities in existing gas and oil basins. Accessing the expertise, technologies, and experience of the larger domestic gas and oil industry can help the geothermal industry overcome barriers while encouraging private investment. These advances and access to capital can help the country realize the exponential growth potential of geothermal energy. Through industry collaboration, geothermal deployment can expand at least 60 gigawatts of clean, reliable electricity-generating capacity - enough to power more than 40 million American homes. DOE expects that GEODE will be a five-year effort, with the consortium issuing competitive solicitations for research activities beginning in year two. GEO
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