{"id":386576,"date":"2025-07-03T08:31:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T06:31:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=386576"},"modified":"2025-07-03T08:31:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T06:31:10","slug":"the-energy-trifecta-nuclear-fossil-fuelsand-geothermal-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=386576","title":{"rendered":"The Energy Trifecta: Nuclear, Fossil Fuels\u2026and Geothermal Energy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Legal Insurrection<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Geothermal Energy Opportunity (GEO) Act has recently been introduced in congress to help clear the regulatory burdens hindering the development of this potentially important resource.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

by Leslie Eastman<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Energy Trifecta: Nuclear, Fossil Fuels\u2026and Geothermal Energy<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Geothermal Energy Opportunity (GEO) Act has recently been introduced in congress to help clear the regulatory burdens hindering the development of this potentially important resource.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Posted by Leslie Eastman<\/a> Monday, June 30, 2025 at 03:00pm 3 Comments<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

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The U.S. stands at a pivotal crossroads in its energy future. As artificial intelligence (AI) accelerates its transformation of industries and daily life, the nation\u2019s appetite for electricity is surging to unprecedented levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI data centers are already consuming about 4% of U.S. electricity<\/a>, with projections indicating this could rise to 12\u201315% by 2030. The explosive growth of AI, from large language models to autonomous vehicles, is placing strains on the power grid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Based on some recent discussions I have had with friends and my geologist husband, I assert that geothermal energy deserves urgent and serious consideration alongside fossil fuels and nuclear power as the perfect \u201ctrifecta\u201d for America\u2019s energy strategy. Unlike intermittent renewables, geothermal offers stable, 24\/7 baseload power\u2026 reliability that is essential for supporting the always-on demands of AI-driven data centers, our critical infrastructure, and the electricity needs of U.S. consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, and most importantly, it leverages existing American expertise in drilling and subsurface engineering, providing a pathway for oil and gas workers use their talents to expand our nation\u2019s energy options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There have been some critical breakthroughs in recent years that make utilizing geothermal energy more effective and efficient. There have been significant advances in enhanced geothermal systems (EGS)<\/a>, which enable geothermal energy production in areas previously deemed unsuitable due to a lack of natural permeability or water resources.  A DOE-funded project<\/a> conducted by the University of Utah demonstrates the enormous potential for developing this particular energy source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A major University of Utah-led geothermal research project, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), achieved a critical breakthrough in April after hydraulically stimulating and circulating water through heated rock formations a mile and a half beneath its drill site in the Utah desert and bringing hot water to the surface. The test results are seen as an important step forward in the search for new ways to use Earth\u2019s subsurface heat to produce hot water for generating emissions-free electricity. The successful well stimulations and a nine-hour circulation test were the fruits of years of planning and data analysis at the Utah FORGE facility near Milford, 175 miles southwest of Salt Lake City.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

As highlighted in the recent Issues & Insights article<\/a>, new geothermal projects are coming online with greater efficiency and lower costs, thanks to innovations such as closed-loop systems and enhanced geothermal systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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These common drilling techniques should enable geothermal developers to reach \u201chot spots\u201d located deeper below the surface than thought possible just a few years ago. They could also expand the map for geothermal development far beyond the Western states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small wonder that investor interest in geothermal energy has surged in recent years, with more than $1 billion raised since 2022. Tech companies on the hunt for suppliers of baseload electricity to power their data centers see the potential of geothermal energy. Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Meta \u2013 all heavyweights in the booming AI\/data center sector \u2013 have all inked contracts with geothermal developers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026Geothermal\u2019s potential to join fossil fuels and nuclear energy in powering America\u2019s economy in the years to come far exceeds anything weather-dependent wind and solar could ever match. With the House version of the budget reconciliation bill accelerating the phase-out of the subsidies that prop them up, these once-coddled industries are scrambling to stay relevant.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Congrats to @QuaiseEnergy<\/a> on the completion of their first geothermal drilling demonstration on a full-scale oil rig developed at @MIT<\/a>. This technique can drill up to 12 miles, surpassing conventional geothermal wells that typically don’t exceed ~2 miles.https:\/\/t.co\/QlWV0gkQrB<\/a>\u2014 ARPA-E (@ARPAE) June 27, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

As the article notes, bureaucratic bungling has been the biggest hurdle for geothermal energy to overcome. Therefore, Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT) has introduced the Geothermal Energy Opportunity Act<\/a> (GEO Act, H.R. 301), which aims to expedite the federal permitting process for geothermal energy projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She is also pairing it with another piece of legislation to help peel back the layers of regulatory tape<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2026[T]he permitting process for geothermal energy production itself needs to be shortened, Garfield said, calling out the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, a 1970 law that requires the federal government to conduct an environmental review before moving forward with infrastructure projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

{Deputy Director of the Utah Office of Energy Development Jake] Garfield said offering geothermal projects certain exemptions under NEPA would help the industry \u2014 like what\u2019s being proposed by Maloy through her Geothermal Energy Opportunity Act, which requires the U.S. Department of Interior to process a geothermal drilling permit within 60 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maloy is also sponsoring the Streamlining Thermal Energy through Advanced Mechanisms Act, which gives the geothermal industry the same flexibility as the oil and gas industry, cutting some of the regulations when pursuing a project on public land that\u2019s already been studied or disturbed by industry.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

With governments and private investors increasingly recognizing the potential of geothermal energy, I believe the sector is poised for significant growth in the coming years. As an added bonus, geothermal plants are not known to kill whales<\/a> or bald eagles<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Image by perplexity.ai.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Geothermal Energy Opportunity (GEO) Act has recently been introduced in congress to help clear the regulatory burdens hindering the development of this potentially important resource.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":386581,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691822666,691823622,691836286,691836285,691836287,691822741],"class_list":{"0":"post-386576","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-artificial-intelligence-ai","9":"tag-energy-future","10":"tag-enhanced-geothermal-systems-egs","11":"tag-geothermal-energy-opportunity-geo-act","12":"tag-geothermal-energy-opportunity-act","13":"tag-u-s-department-of-energy-doe","15":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0AQObUoPThQNvcEPsZjWwuXdPADATPyKFG8nhJTfbQG7xMPhRuUmcMRviBqOenjnw6AvjjtQa3ErWfLSSg7ZzdTzNmHHi75GJGEQdJSHlxrWaiyYi1yc0H_RL2d2z-D5A_Hw_Vn80RmE7Ckw4S3hpCCRMSkGJcQ.jpeg?fit=1280%2C1280&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1Cz6","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":385371,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=385371","url_meta":{"origin":386576,"position":0},"title":"Geothermal Energy: Another Nail in the Coffin of Wind and Solar Power?","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"27\/06\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"As if the resurgence of fossil fuels and the realistic prospect of a renaissance of nuclear energy in the U.S. were not enough, purveyors of intermittent and subsidy-dependent wind and solar power may be facing another challenge, this one emanating from heat stored deep beneath the earth\u2019s surface.","rel":"","context":"In \"Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright\"","block_context":{"text":"Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=department-of-energy-secretary-chris-wright"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-589.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-589.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-589.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-589.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":228001,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=228001","url_meta":{"origin":386576,"position":1},"title":"The \u201ageothermal moonshot \u2018","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"07\/11\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Geothermal is just as likely to run into legal challenges as other forms of underground energy recovery. The article below is part of \u2018a\u00a0special feature\u00a0on the hazards and potential of geothermal energy\u2019, featuring the habitat of Nevada\u2019s tiny and endangered Dixie Valley toad.","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/image-304.png?fit=692%2C692&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/image-304.png?fit=692%2C692&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/image-304.png?fit=692%2C692&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":422590,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=422590","url_meta":{"origin":386576,"position":2},"title":"Chinese Investment Company: Tech Giants are Turning to Geothermal to Power AI","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"23\/01\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201c\u2026 Rising electricity demand from data centers drives both the quantity and price of geothermal installations. \u2026\u201d","rel":"","context":"In \"1700 Cascadia Megathrust Earthquake\"","block_context":{"text":"1700 Cascadia Megathrust Earthquake","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=1700-cascadia-megathrust-earthquake"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0AQNQOPQ1WJiPiujYmTBtlv1p1W-O7zfK5dC5u46KWK0DZujZOynXu3az-hG5QWJKWPSYls5Nr8w0A-I_oAuIcFdg_5HUy21v2LzW4PbJRo5EShk-Yj_u4n6DiplY9_pq-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C594&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0AQNQOPQ1WJiPiujYmTBtlv1p1W-O7zfK5dC5u46KWK0DZujZOynXu3az-hG5QWJKWPSYls5Nr8w0A-I_oAuIcFdg_5HUy21v2LzW4PbJRo5EShk-Yj_u4n6DiplY9_pq-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C594&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0AQNQOPQ1WJiPiujYmTBtlv1p1W-O7zfK5dC5u46KWK0DZujZOynXu3az-hG5QWJKWPSYls5Nr8w0A-I_oAuIcFdg_5HUy21v2LzW4PbJRo5EShk-Yj_u4n6DiplY9_pq-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C594&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0AQNQOPQ1WJiPiujYmTBtlv1p1W-O7zfK5dC5u46KWK0DZujZOynXu3az-hG5QWJKWPSYls5Nr8w0A-I_oAuIcFdg_5HUy21v2LzW4PbJRo5EShk-Yj_u4n6DiplY9_pq-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C594&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0AQNQOPQ1WJiPiujYmTBtlv1p1W-O7zfK5dC5u46KWK0DZujZOynXu3az-hG5QWJKWPSYls5Nr8w0A-I_oAuIcFdg_5HUy21v2LzW4PbJRo5EShk-Yj_u4n6DiplY9_pq-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C594&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":292622,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=292622","url_meta":{"origin":386576,"position":3},"title":"Viterito\/Kamis\/Yim\/Catt: Impacts of Geothermal Energy on Climate | Tom Nelson Pod #181","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"25\/12\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Presenters, in order: Arthur Viterito, James Kamis, Wyss Yim, Brian Catt","rel":"","context":"In \"Climate\"","block_context":{"text":"Climate","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0Screenshot-2023-12-25-142638.png?fit=1200%2C672&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0Screenshot-2023-12-25-142638.png?fit=1200%2C672&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0Screenshot-2023-12-25-142638.png?fit=1200%2C672&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0Screenshot-2023-12-25-142638.png?fit=1200%2C672&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0Screenshot-2023-12-25-142638.png?fit=1200%2C672&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":331593,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=331593","url_meta":{"origin":386576,"position":4},"title":"Permanent Tax Subsidy? 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