The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $25 million to promote the advancement of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) technologies and techniques. The Funding Opportunity Announcement (DE-FOA-0002227), entitled Wells of Opportunity (WOO), supports research and development (R&D) that complements DOE’s Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) initiative and aligns with the goals of the recently released GeoVision study, which outlines a path to unlock the full potential of geothermal power.

The WOO FOA will provide funding in two topic areas:

• Topic Area 1 – Pilot: Prepare and repair existing wells and host the testing of innovative downhole tools and well stimulation technologies in parallel with or in preparation for deployment at the FORGE site.

• Topic Area 2 – Amplify: Test and validate targeted stimulation techniques for improving productivity of wells or increasing inter-well connectivity at existing geothermal fields for purposes of producing additional energy.

The GeoVision study summarizes findings showing that geothermal electricity generation could increase more than 26-fold from today—reaching 60 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity by 2050.

In addition to describing electricity-generation opportunities, the GeoVision analysis also shows how geothermal can enhance heating and cooling solutions for American residential and commercial consumers through direct-use and heat-pump technologies.

DOE’s FORGE initiative enables cutting-edge research, and drilling and technology onsite testing to allow scientists to identify a replicable, commercial pathway to enhanced geothermal systems. The FORGE subsurface laboratory is a fully instrumented research site, coupled with a collaboration and management platform, making it a first of its-kind endeavor. In addition to the site itself, the FORGE effort will include a robust instrumentation, data collection, and data dissemination component to capture and share data and activities occurring at FORGE in real time.