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Committee approves Next Generation Geothermal Research bill with supercritical geothermal language
Summary
The House Science Committee approved HR 8790, which directs DOE R&D to accelerate next‑generation geothermal technologies including supercritical and closed‑loop systems; Representative Herrian offered an amendment to explicitly include supercritical conditions and it was adopted before the committee reported the bill favorably.
The House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology unanimously advanced HR 8790, the Next Generation Geothermal Research and Development Act, directing the Department of Energy to expand research, development, demonstration, and commercialization efforts for advanced geothermal technologies.
Representative Herrian, a lead sponsor, said the bill will engage DOE and private partners to overcome engineering barriers and expand geothermal deployment. "This bill puts the Department of Energy to work solving the engineering challenges standing between us and the abundant energy resources that next generation geothermal technologies can deliver," he said. Herrian offered an amendment to include supercritical geothermal conditions within DOE FORGE sites and R&D programs; he noted experts estimate supercritical wells could produce five to ten times the output of conventional wells. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
Other members highlighted geothermal’s potential to provide reliable, 24/7 base‑load power and the need to map and deploy subsurface heat resources across diverse geographies. After adopting the amendment package, the committee ordered HR 8790 favorably reported to the House. The transcript records voice adoption and the chair announced that the bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported; no roll‑call tallies were recorded in the proceeding.
What’s next: The committee report will be filed and the measure sent to the House floor for further consideration.
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