The New Energy Frontier: Quaise Energy’s Superhot Geothermal Gambit in Oregon By Alphaxioms Editorial Team | September 4, 2026 In the high desert of Central Oregon, a project with implications far beyond Deschutes County is taking shape. Quaise Energy, now backed by a total of $280 million in funding, is advancing Project Obsidian, which it describes as the world’s first commercial superhot geothermal power plant . The company says the first phase is designed to deliver 50 MW by 2030, with a pathway toward 250 MW and ultimately more than 1 GW . Before the first megawatt reaches the grid, however, the project faces a local policy test: whether Deschutes County should grant a five-year property tax abatement under Oregon’s Rural Renewable Energy Development Zone Program. That decision is more than a routine incentive request. It is a referendum on how rural counties choose to support next-generation energy infrastructure and whether older incentive frameworks can accommodate a technolog...
Breaking New Ground: GA Drilling and NREL Join Forces to Revolutionize Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy has long been the unsung hero of the renewable energy sector. With the potential to provide consistent, baseload power, it remains an underutilized resource due to the challenges of deep drilling. Now, GA Drilling, a pioneering geothermal technology company, has partnered with the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to take a massive leap forward in unlocking geothermal’s full potential.
A Partnership for the Future
GA Drilling and NREL are collaborating to bring a game-changing innovation to the field—an advanced high-temperature downhole generator designed to enhance geothermal drilling applications. This cutting-edge technology will be integrated into GA Drilling’s PLASMABIT® Hybrid drilling solution, a system poised to transform how deep geothermal resources are accessed.
Igor Kocis, CEO of GA Drilling, emphasizes the significance of this alliance, stating, “Geothermal energy has the potential to revolutionize clean energy production, and this collaboration with NREL marks a significant step toward making deep geothermal drilling more viable and efficient.” By leveraging NREL’s extensive research and expertise, GA Drilling is set to overcome long-standing technical barriers that have hindered deep geothermal exploration.
The Innovation: A Self-Sustaining Power Source at Depth
Traditional geothermal drilling faces major hurdles—chief among them is the challenge of powering drill bits at extreme depths. Most conventional systems rely on cumbersome and costly external power cables that can limit efficiency and drive up operational costs.
This is where the NREL-developed downhole generator comes into play. Designed to withstand temperatures up to 250°C, this generator produces electricity directly at the drill bit, eliminating the need for external power sources. This breakthrough significantly enhances drilling efficiency, reduces operational delays, and makes ultra-deep geothermal energy more economically viable than ever before.
Why This Matters: Unlocking a Vast Energy Source
Despite geothermal energy’s reliability and abundance, it currently accounts for less than 0.2% of global energy production. The challenge has always been accessing deep geothermal reservoirs in an efficient and cost-effective manner. With the integration of NREL’s high-temperature downhole generator into GA Drilling’s PLASMABIT® Hybrid system, that challenge is being tackled head-on.
Ultra-deep geothermal drilling has the potential to tap into an almost limitless supply of clean energy, making it a crucial component in the global transition to renewables. Unlike solar and wind, geothermal power is not dependent on weather conditions, providing a stable and uninterrupted energy source that could replace fossil fuels at scale.
GA Drilling’s Commitment to a Renewable Future
GA Drilling has spent over a decade refining its geothermal drilling technologies, amassing more than 25 patents and securing multiple funding sources, including venture capital, industrial partnerships, and 20 European Union research grants. With a team of over 50 engineers, the company is dedicated to making geothermal energy a mainstream player in the renewable energy sector.
This partnership with NREL is more than just another project—it’s a critical step toward making clean, abundant, and locally sourced energy a reality. By addressing the core limitations of deep geothermal drilling, GA Drilling and NREL are paving the way for a future where geothermal power is a cornerstone of the global energy mix.
The Road Ahead: From Lab to Field
The next phase of this collaboration involves full-scale field testing, bringing the high-temperature downhole generator into commercial drilling environments. If successful, this technology could be the key to unlocking geothermal energy at an unprecedented scale, making it one of the most viable and cost-effective renewable energy solutions available today.
As the world accelerates its transition away from fossil fuels, the importance of breakthrough innovations in geothermal energy cannot be overstated. With GA Drilling and NREL leading the charge, the dream of harnessing “Geothermal Anywhere” is closer than ever to becoming a reality.
Source:Press Wire
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