According to CleanTechnica, the U.S. Energy Department is continuing to bank on geothermal energy for rapid scale-up, even after a sharp reversal in federal energy policy last year. The report frames geothermal as a "wild card" that is becoming more unpredictable and more significant.
The article, published in September 2026, does not detail the specifics of the policy U-turn or the technologies involved. It does, however, suggest that geothermal remains a priority for the department despite the shifting political landscape.
Because this is a single source, there is no independent confirmation or dissenting view to compare. The significance lies in the apparent divergence between overall federal policy direction and the Energy Department's own bet on geothermal.