The governors of four Western states are forming a new coalition with two nonprofits to advance geothermal power, a technology seeing renewed investment and support from the Trump administration.
The Mountain West Geothermal Consortium includes Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico and is partnering with the Center for Public Enterprise and Constructive, a group of former Department of Energy officials supporting clean energy. The consortium said it was aiming to make hundreds of gigawatts of geothermal energy “accessible and usable” by having state officials, project developers and investors work together on new permitting and financing frameworks.
“Geothermal energy saves people money, protects our environment, and reduces pollution, while creating more energy stability for Coloradans,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) said in a statement.
Michael O’Connor, a geothermal official at the Department of Energy during the Biden administration, is directing the consortium, which is being advised by geothermal companies, investors and utilities.
