A road map for de-risking and scaling the next generation of geothermal energy

Clean Air Task Force has released A Technology Road Map for Next-Generation Geothermal: Unlocking Superhot Rock Innovation through Strategic Collaboration. This first-of-its-kind report comprehensively outlines what it will take to move from scattered research to coordinated demonstrations and deployment.

The report calls for targeted R&D, new testbeds, and international coordination to accelerate commercialization. It offers governments, researchers, industry, and funders a phased plan that clarifies where their engagement can have the biggest impact.

Why do we care? Because Superhot rock (SHR) geothermal harnesses heat from rock at temperatures above 400°C to generate five to ten times more energy per well than today’s conventional geothermal systems. If successfully developed, SHR could supply 63 terawatts of firm, carbon-free power by tapping just 1% of the world’s SHR resources – more than eight times current global electricity generation.

Beyond its vast potential, SHR offers another crucial advantage: location flexibility. While traditional geothermal relies on rare surface-level hot water systems, SHR can be developed in regions far from volcanic activity, enabling countries everywhere to potentially access reliable, around-the-clock clean energy.

As global trends in electrification, data center growth, and industrial decarbonization rapidly increase electricity demand over time, the need for clean firm power like SHR has never been greater.

Targeted innovation and global coordination can overcome technical and infrastructure barriers to SHR 

Despite its extraordinary potential, superhot rock (SHR) geothermal remains at an early stage of development. The barriers holding it back are primarily technical, infrastructural, and organizational, but all are solvable through deliberate coordination and investment.

Technical innovation is the immediate frontier. SHR requires new generations of drilling tools, sensors, and well materials that can withstand temperatures exceeding 400°C and extreme pressures at depths of 10-20 kilometers. Advanced modeling tools are also needed to predict reservoir performance and geochemical interactions in these unprecedented environments. For investors and technology developers, this represents a multi-billion-dollar innovation opportunity that builds on decades of experience in oil and gas, aerospace, and geothermal engineering. Early movers, especially those with subsurface expertise, stand to shape the supply chains, standards, and intellectual property that will define the sector.

Infrastructure and workforce gaps are equally critical. The world has only a handful of test facilities capable of replicating SHR conditions, and they are largely concentrated in a few countries. Expanding and upgrading these laboratories will require blended financing: public R&D support paired with private capital from companies seeking first-mover advantage and philanthropies willing to fund high-impact pre-commercial work. Workforce readiness is another priority. Training geoscientists, drilling engineers, and materials specialists to operate at superhot conditions will be essential to scaling deployment.

Coordination remains the enabling factor. SHR research and pilot projects are currently fragmented across continents, limiting knowledge exchange and slowing progress. CATF’s Road Map calls for a coordinated governance structure, anchored by an international steering committee and formal standards body, to harmonize R&D efforts, set shared benchmarks, and facilitate open data sharing. For financiers and grantmakers, this structure reduces risk and increases transparency, ensuring that each dollar invested accelerates collective progress rather than duplicating effort.

A phased plan for progress 

CATF’s Road Map proposes a six-phase strategy to turn scattered efforts into a cohesive global movement:

1. Establish coordination and governance: Launch a global steering committee and standards framework to align efforts and manage funding coordination. 

2. Identify resources: Map existing technologies, materials, and facilities to clarify where private capital can have the greatest impact. 

3. Fill technical gaps: Target R&D investment in high-impact areas, such as high-temperature tools and corrosion-resistant materials, where partnerships between research institutions, service providers, and energy companies can accelerate commercialization. 

4. Iterate and refine: Apply a “build–test–learn” cycle of modeling, laboratory validation, and field pilots to de-risk technologies before large-scale deployment. 

5. Deploy: Scale from pilots to commercial projects by mobilizing blended finance, developing supply chains, and coordinating permitting and infrastructure needs. 

6. Facilitate continual improvement: Institutionalize standards, training, and data systems to sustain progress and attract long-term investment. 

For private investors and philanthropic funders looking to make meaningful impact in this space, the Road Map offers a practical framework for engagement: a sequence of coordinated, transparent milestones that that clarify where funding and expertise can have the greatest effect. The early stages reward pioneering capital and technical participation; later stages will open the door to larger-scale investment in infrastructure, project finance, and reliable clean power generation.

Collaboration across governments, industry, and research is essential to unlock SHR’s full potential 

Realizing the potential of superhot rock will require collective leadership. Governments must create the right regulatory and funding frameworks; research institutions must advance modeling and validation; and industry, investors, and philanthropies must mobilize the capital and expertise needed to move from lab to field.

The technology foundation is already there-what’s missing is coordination. CATF’s Technology Road Map for Next-Generation Geothermal provides that structure, helping the global community align strategy, investment, and innovation around one of the world’s most promising clean energy solutions.