The work in projects selected under this second-round funding opportunity, along with those selected in the first-round funding opportunity, will advance EGS towards DOE's ambitious Enhanced Geothermal Shot and GeoVision analysis goals, and help spur further use of geothermal as a critical source of firm, flexible clean energy. 90 gigawatts of domestic electricity-generating capacity by 2050—enough to power the equivalent of more than 65 million American homes.

Objective

The economic viability of EGS depends on developing and improving technologies and understanding of the subsurface, including geologic qualities, permeability, and other attributes.  By developing EGS pilot demonstrations in a variety of geologic formations and subsurface conditions, projects selected under this opportunity will act as:

• Models, proving reliability and performance, and ultimately de-risking the suites of technologies required to develop and sustain EGS reservoirs
• Experiments from which to learn (learn-by-doing), using the upscaled opportunity to identify new problems that are not apparent at smaller, lab-based scales
• Opportunities to test hypotheses and validate design approaches for the geological conditions in which projects are located and extend those approaches to broader EGS development
• Opportunities for collaboration, such that best practices can be established and general operational processes can be standardized and improved
• Opportunities to begin connecting with consumers and off-takers to understand their needs and define the market, and to take those factors into account in design.

The currently open FOA seeks projects in Topic Area 4 only: demonstrating EGS at a well-characterized site in the eastern United States with potential for near-term electricity or thermal power production. 

OPEN Second-Round FOA Topic 4: Eastern United States EGS

EGS stimulation demonstration located at a well-characterized eastern U.S. site, with existing well(s) in place and near-term electrical power and heat production potential. Eastern U.S. demonstrations will target low-permeability, high-temperature geothermal anomalies in the eastern United States with the potential for generation of electrical power and heat production as a cascaded resource. Selected projects will hone understanding of what is required to demonstrate the viability of EGS in the terrains of the eastern United States, especially with respect to stimulation technology/methodologies.