La nouvelle législation bipartisane sur le site energie superhot rock est adoptée par la commission parlementaire, ce qui constitue une étape importante vers le déploiement.
WASHINGTON – Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology advanced the bipartisan Supercritical Geothermal Research and Development Act, which would enable research and development of superhot rock energy (SHR), a clean firm energy source with the potential to transform our global energy system. The legislation was spearheaded by Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Representative Andrea Salinas (D-OR).
“Superhot rock energy could provide affordable, always-available, clean, firm electricity,” said Terra Rogers, Director for Superhot Rock Energy at Clean Air Task Force. “This legislation will have tremendous impact on our ability to tap into that potential. For too long, next-generation geothermal technologies like superhot rock energy have been underfunded. Now, we’re one step closer to tapping into the heat beneath our feet. If signed into law, the research and development investments in this bill will enable innovations and learnings to advance the entire field of next-generation geothermal. As energy demand and the urgency to decarbonize the energy system increases, superhot rock energy can play a critical role. We appreciate Chairman Lucas and Rep. Salinas’ commitment to advancing superhot rock energy and look forward to working with policymakers on both sides of the aisle to get this bill across the finish line.”
Key provisions of the Supercritical Geothermal Research and Development Act include:
- Investment in research and development for enhanced and closed loop geothermal systems operating in supercritical conditions, which could advance the entire field of next-generation geothermal.
- Creation of a Superhot FORGE testing site where SHR companies can test and validate new technologies in real-world conditions.
- Establishment of a research and development program within the Geothermal Technologies Offices dedicated to SHR, which would provide the agency with resources to engage more deeply on SHR.
The U.S. has fewer than 4 gigawatts of installed geothermal energy, and almost all of it is conventional geothermal energy that draws on rare, shallow reservoirs of heat. CATF’s first-of-a-kind heat modeling found that just 1% of the United States’ superhot rock energy potential could produce 4.3 terawatts of clean firm power – over 1,000 times the current installed geothermal capacity. Moreover, CATF’s research has identified strong support for geothermal energy domestically and a significant opportunity to educate the public about the energy source.
CATF also recently commissioned a report series, “Bridging the Gaps,” which analyzes the methods, challenges, and pathways forward to advance superhot rock for heat extraction, power production, and drilling. Many of the gaps identified in these reports can be overcome by the investments included in this legislation. The series can be found here.
Contact presse
Samantha Sadowski, directrice des communications, États-Unis, ssadowski@catf.us, +1 202-440-1717
À propos de Clean Air Task Force
Clean Air Task Force (CATF) est une organisation mondiale à but non lucratif qui œuvre à la protection contre les pires impacts du changement climatique en catalysant le développement et le déploiement rapides d'énergies à faible teneur en carbone et d'autres technologies de protection du climat. Avec plus de 25 ans d'expertise internationalement reconnue en matière de politique climatique et une volonté farouche d'explorer toutes les solutions potentielles, CATF est un groupe de défense pragmatique et non idéologique qui propose les idées audacieuses nécessaires pour lutter contre le changement climatique. CATF a des bureaux à Boston, Washington D.C. et Bruxelles, et son personnel travaille virtuellement dans le monde entier. Visitez catf.us et suivez @cleanaircatf.
