October 2026 Update

10/29/26 UPDATE: Enhanced Geothermal Goes Commercial

Re: Chapter 3.7 How Big a Role Can Geothermal and Ocean Energy Play?

Geothermal Resources of the United States. Source: U.S. Department of Energy. Downloaded from https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/geothermal/where-geothermal-energy-is-found.php

The promise of enhanced geothermal energy (EGS) is starting to be realized. The Fervo Energy company has connected its Cape Station enhanced geothermal project in Utah to the grid and begun selling clean electricity. Its first 33 MW unit will expand to 500 MW by 2028. A fracking type drill rig pumps water to fracture deep hot rocks, and nearby wells pump the heated water through a turbine to generate electricity.¹ The potential for EGS is very large.²

The EGS hot rock reservoir can also be used for efficient storage of solar and wind energy. The excess intermittent energy can be used to pump more water into the hot rocks, to be released hours or days later for electricity generation.³

References

1. Fervo Energy. “Fervo Energy Declares Commercial Operation at Cape Station Ahead of Schedule, Leading the Race For for Next-Generation Geothermal Energy.” October 1, 2026. https://fervoenergy.com/fervo-energy-declares-commercial-operation-at-cape-station-ahead-of-schedule-leading-the-race-for-next-generation-geothermal-energy/.

2. Aniti, Lori. “Enhanced Geothermal Systems Could Expand Geothermal Power Generation.” U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). February 19, 2026. https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=67204.

3. Patel, Prachi. “Geothermal May Beat Batteries for Energy Storage.” IEEE Spectrum, July 18, 2025. https://spectrum.ieee.org/geothermal-energy.