DOE Awards $338M for Geothermal R&D

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $338 million in Recovery Act funding for geothermal research and development. The grants were awarded to 123 projects in 39 states, across private industry, academic institutions, tribal entities, local governments, and DOE's national laboratories. The grants will be matched more than one-for-one with an additional $353 million in private and non-Federal cost-share funds, according to the DOE.

These grants target projects that identify and develop new geothermal fields and reduce the upfront risk associated with geothermal development. The grants will also support the deployment and creative financing approaches for ground source heat pump demonstration projects across the country.

The projects (PDF) selected for negotiation of awards fall into six categories:

• Innovative Exploration and Drilling Projects (up to $98.1 million for 24 projects)
• Coproduced, Geopressured, and Low Temperature Projects (up to $20.7 million for 11 projects)
• Enhanced Geothermal Systems Demonstrations (up to $51.4 million for 3 projects)
• Enhanced Geothermal Systems Components Research and Development/Analysis (up to $81.5 million up to 45 projects)
• Geothermal Data Development, Collection and Maintenance (up to $24.6 million 3 projects)
• Ground Source Heat Pump Demonstrations (up to $61.9 million for 37 projects)

DOE's Geothermal Technologies Program works in partnership with U.S. industry to establish geothermal energy as an economically competitive contributor to the U.S. energy supply.