The Trump administration has positioned geothermal energy as a central component of its “American Energy Dominance” policy, allocating special attention and funding support to the sector despite its current modest contribution to US power generation capacity. The administration’s selection of Chris Wright, former CEO of oilfield services firm Liberty Energy, as Energy Secretary signals commitment to the field, particularly given Liberty’s investments in geothermal ventures like Fervo Energy.
Historically constrained by geological limitations to western regions, the geothermal industry has undergone significant changes since the early 2000s through Department of Energy support for emerging technologies. The department’s FORGE complex in Utah and similar initiatives have worked to expand geothermal’s geographic viability beyond traditional boundaries. Building on this foundation, the Energy Department announced the establishment of a new Geothermal Center of Excellence on September 3 at the National Laboratory of the Rockies in Colorado. The center will coordinate expertise across multiple national laboratories to accelerate development of large-scale geothermal systems and commercial deployment.
The initiative reflects broader coordination between fossil fuel and renewable energy sectors, with participation from the National Energy Technology Laboratory and numerous other Department of Energy facilities. Plans include forming an advisory board of industry stakeholders to guide research priorities and expand public-private partnerships. Recent commercial developments indicate growing momentum, including a power purchase agreement announced on September 1 between Fervo and Google for a 396-megawatt geothermal project expected to commence operations in 2028, alongside strategic partnerships between Hexagon Energy and Weyerhauser for Pacific Northwest projects.
The geothermal expansion strategy sits within the administration’s Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office framework, which aims to maintain coal as a cornerstone of the US energy mix. However, the office’s stated goal to position geothermal as a competitive source for baseload electricity generation potentially conflicts with coal expansion objectives, as industry analysts project continued decline in coal demand and dominance of wind, solar, and energy storage in grid expansion.
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