The Department of Energy has released the Geothermal Technologies Office’s (GTO) Geothermal Resources’ Value in Implementing Decarbonization (GRID) funding opportunity announcement (FOA) that seeks applications from teams focused on geographic regions defined within specific power pools, joint utilities groups, utility service territories, or Tribal jurisdictions in the conterminous U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, or U.S. territories to quantify the value of geothermal power in supporting an equitable transition to a future decarbonized grid and economy. Regional grid modeling studies should use one or more analysis approaches and tools such as capacity expansion modeling, production cost modeling, Loss-of-Load based analyses, machine learning applications, and/or alternate modeling or market design approaches.

FOA Goals:

1. Understand current geothermal representation and identify forward-looking best practices to incorporate geothermal power in regional utility planning processes
2. Model system integration impacts of geothermal power (firm, flexible, and/or geothermal power + storage configurations) to specific regions of the US grid
3. Apply system-level metrics beyond LCOE to evaluate the role of geothermal power in a decarbonized grid
4. Quantify how geothermal power can support an equitable transition to grid decarbonization
5. Develop a one-page infographic visually and succinctly demonstrating individual project research outcomes

Project teams are required to propose grid modeling and/or analysis approaches tailored to their specific grid region of interest examining one or more of the following geothermal power attributes:

• Firm capacity to support resource adequacy
• Flexible geothermal power and ancillary services to the grid and/or to a deferrable load
• Integrated value of geothermal power with storage technologies
• Total system impact of geothermal power to cost of grid decarbonization

In addition to choosing one or more of the above attributes for examination, project teams are required to incorporate elements of understanding geothermal power’s contribution to an equitable transition within the proposal.