Sens. John Hickenlooper and Steve Daines are launching a bipartisan push to unlock federal funding for next-generation geothermal energy, aiming to expand the resource far beyond its traditional strongholds in the western United States.
The “Geothermal Power Opportunity With Expanded Regions Act (Geo POWER) Act,” introduced Tuesday, would establish a new program at the Department of Energy to provide innovative financing for geothermal projects in regions that have historically lacked viable resources.
“We’re on the verge of harnessing a new wave of geothermal energy to meet surging electricity demand, lower prices, and address the climate crisis,” Hickenlooper said. “The key will be in scaling up new, next-generation geothermal projects across the country.”
Traditionally, geothermal development has been limited to areas with recent volcanic activity or naturally occurring hot, permeable rock formations, largely confining projects to the West.
