U.S. Department of Energy GEODE - Geothermal Energy from Oil and gas Demonstrated Engineering

Check out the Funding Opportunity Quick Guide to determine eligibility and learn how to apply!

Office: Geothermal Technologies Office 
FOA number: DE-FOA-0002776
Link to apply: Apply on EERE Exchange
FOA Amount: $10 million (plus $155 million in future years, pending Congressional budget appropriations)
Applications Due: October 28, 2022

On July 28, 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the Geothermal Energy from Oil and gas Demonstrated Engineering Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), which will award up to $165 million to expand U.S. geothermal energy deployment by leveraging technologies and workforce from the oil and gas industry. This initial FOA is expected to provide $10 million to form a consortium that will develop a roadmap for addressing technology and knowledge gaps in geothermal energy, leveraging technology and best practices from the oil and gas industry. DOE will then use that roadmap to fund up to an additional $155 million in research to address those gaps.

Although the U.S. geothermal resource is vast, only a small portion of it has been developed due to unique challenges associated with subsurface environments, along with process issues with geothermal projects, such as long permitting timelines. Accessing the expertise, technologies, and experience of the similar but much larger domestic oil and gas industry can help overcome barriers and encourage private investment. These advances and access to capital can help the country realize the exponential growth potential of geothermal energy. Through industry collaboration, geothermal deployment can expand to bring clean, reliable power to more than 130 million American homes and businesses.

GTO anticipates making one (1) award of $10 million under this FOA. Then, over an additional 4-year period and pending Congressional budget appropriations, the GEODE consortium will issue competitive solicitations for up to $155 million in research activities.

The GEODE Administrator

The GEODE FOA solicits an administrator to establish and lead a consortium that will facilitate collaborative research, development, and demonstration (RD&D). Goals for the consortium are to transfer and adapt technology from oil and gas, generate heat and power from existing oil and gas assets, evaluate and recommend ways to address regulatory and permitting barriers, and develop opportunities in the geothermal sector for the skilled oil and gas workforce. The ultimate objective is to significantly expand domestic geothermal deployment.
U.S. individuals or entities can apply as the GEODE consortium administrator. The administrator will need to be capable of executing numerous activities, including:

  • Establishing a clear structure and methodology for initiating and executing a research agenda, as defined by the consortium members and DOE 
  • Managing RD&D efforts in support of consortium priorities
  • Attracting and securing consortium membership of and collaboration among key industry partners in both the geothermal and oil and gas industries
  • Providing strong organizational leadership across technical disciplines and establishing a robust model to leverage RD&D expertise and non-DOE funding (if feasible) to enhance commercialization opportunities.

More details about applicant eligibility and required skills are in the FOA.

The GEODE Facets

DOE expects that GEODE will be a 5-year effort, with the consortium issuing competitive solicitations for research activities beginning in year two. These competitive solicitations will advance the goals of the initiative by conducting research simultaneously in four interrelated focus areas, called "Facets."

GEODE Consortium Lead & Partners

Facet 1: Technology Transfer and R&D. In this facet, the consortium will examine the technology and workflow needs of the geothermal industry and catalogue the gaps between geothermal and oil and gas in these areas. This facet will identify pathways that incorporate existing oil and gas technologies and methodologies into geothermal, and establish priorities for the most consequential gaps.

Facet 2: Demonstrations and Deployment. This facet seeks to overcome barriers to evaluating and using geothermal resources currently accessed by oil and gas infrastructure. The consortium should achieve this through numerous pathways, including better data availability, resource and engineering assessments, and demonstration projects that show the utility and commercial viability of producing geothermal heat and electricity from existing subsurface infrastructure.

Facet 3: Analysis and Regulatory Barriers. In this facet, the consortium will identify and evaluate non-technical barriers to expanding the oil and gas industry into the geothermal space.

Facet 4: Workforce and Communications. Consortium activities in this facet will include assessing future geothermal workforce needs and potential gaps, and determining the education and professional experiences needed to fill those gaps. The consortium will also identify better ways to communicate about geothermal energy.

Key Dates

FOA Issue Date:

7/28/2022

Submission Deadline for Full Applications:

10/28/2022 5:00pm ET

Expected Submission Deadline for Replies to Reviewer Comments:

12/9/2022 5:00pm ET

Expected Date for EERE Selection Notifications:

2/13/2023

Expected Timeframe for Award Negotiations:

5/22/2023

Additional Information