The U.S. Department of Energy has selected the NLR Campus as the home of its new Geothermal Center of Excellence, announced Sept. 3 by the Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office. The center is designed to tackle major technical challenges that have limited the growth of geothermal energy.
According to the announcement, the center will serve as a gateway for the geothermal industry to access the expertise of the national laboratories. Its work will focus on high-impact barriers that have slowed deployment, though specific research areas were not detailed in the release.
The move signals federal investment in expanding geothermal as a clean power source, but the announcement does not specify funding levels or a timeline for operations.