Sponsors (2)
The bill accelerates next‑generation geothermal innovation and commercial deployment through targeted funding, generous cost‑share grants, data sharing, and workforce support, but it increases taxpayer costs and raises local environmental, proprietary, and implementation‑risk concerns that require careful mitigation.
Researchers and national labs receive $150 million per year (FY2027–2031) to accelerate next‑generation geothermal R&D, boosting innovation and jobs in the clean energy sector.
Commercial developers and small geothermal firms can access up to 80% federal cost‑share grants for commercial‑readiness projects, lowering upfront costs and speeding deployment of advanced geothermal systems.
Scientists, developers, and local governments gain a publicly accessible DOE subsurface data repository and interagency data-sharing, improving project siting, transparency, and reducing exploration risk.
Rural and nearby communities face increased local environmental and seismic risks from federal exploration boreholes and expanded deep drilling studies.
Taxpayers absorb increased federal spending ($150 million per year), which could divert funds from other priorities if not offset.
Small businesses and homeowners may face proprietary and landowner concerns because public posting of subsurface data could reveal sensitive location or commercial information.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes a next‑generation geothermal R&D program (including ML integration, data sharing, FORGE testing) and $150M/year for FY2027–2031 to support research, demonstration, and commercialization grants.
Official title: To amend the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to direct research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities in support of next-generation geothermal and closed-loop geothermal systems in various conditions, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 13, 2026 by Pat Harrigan · Last progress July 20, 2026
Creates a focused federal research and development program to advance "next‑generation" geothermal energy technologies, including closed‑loop and supercritical geothermal systems. It updates statutory definitions, requires DOE to integrate machine learning into hydrothermal research, expands interagency data sharing and public data repositories, directs at least one FORGE site to support next‑generation testing within a year, authorizes commercial‑readiness grants, and provides a five‑year authorization of $150 million per year (FY2027–2031) for the program. Also directs the USGS to expand resource assessments (including U.S. territories) for supercritical geothermal resources, removes an obsolete subsection, and accelerates the timing for the quadrennial resource update so it must be completed within two years of enactment.