Attendees at the summit also heard from industry that geothermal workers are needed—now and into the future—and from the unions and trade associations who are already training a diverse workforce for the geothermal energy future. A panel of speakers emphasized the value of earn-as-you-learn apprenticeship programs and the fact that there is growing interest and excitement about jobs in this industry. Growing energy costs, investments from the Inflation Reduction Act, the drive for decarbonization, and the resurgence of interest in technical education are increasing the market and labor pool. In fact, the workforce panel and Senator Heinrich both emphasized that, unlike other emerging clean energy industries, geothermal relies on technologies that are largely familiar to the existing U.S. oil and gas workforce. As Senator Heinrich shared, “Through enhanced geothermal systems, we can ensure these workers are as integral to the future of energy production as they have been to its past.”
The day concluded with GTO acting EGS Program Manager Kevin Jones and a panel of geothermal experts discussing the five technology pathways GTO believes are necessary to make the Enhanced Geothermal Shot™ goal a reality:
- Seeing the Subsurface with Greater Precision: New Sensing Technologies for Stress, Strain, and Fracture Mapping
- Predicting the Subsurface with Greater Precision
- Accessing the Subsurface: Improving Drilling Efficiency and Drilling in Extreme Environs
- Designing and Building Wells
- Manipulating and Creating Durable Reservoirs: Controlling Fluid Flow and Developing Innovative Stimulation Methods
GTO is eager for feedback on the roadmap! Please email EGShotRoadmap@ee.doe.gov to share your thoughts. The roadmap presentation is available on the Enhanced Geothermal Shot™ page.
Watch the recording of the summit to hear the full day’s discussions:
