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Next-Gen Geothermal Funding 2026: VCs, Banks, Government Capital

Who Is Really Funding Next-Gen Geothermal in 2026? Next-generation geothermal has moved beyond laboratory research into a capital-intensive commercialization phase. In 2026, the most important financing is no longer coming from one investor category: venture capital funds are financing drilling, subsurface modelling and hardware; strategic energy companies are providing equipment, project access and market credibility; banks are beginning to lend against contracted projects; and governments are absorbing exploration and first-of-a-kind technology risk. The strongest financing activity is concentrated in the United States and Canada, but Europe is becoming increasingly important through Germany-based deployment, European Union grants, UK innovation support, and strategic participation from European energy companies. The central investment question is changing from “Can this technology work?” to “Can the developer deliver repeatable, financeable projects at commercial cost?” The 2026 fun...

U.S. Companies Designated as ‘Awardable’ for Air Force Geothermal Projects

Advancing National Security and Military Preparedness Through Geothermal Innovation By:  Robert Buluma The  United State Department of Defence (DOD) has officially designated several U.S. companies as ‘Awardable’ for the United States Air Force’s Geothermal for National Security and Military Preparedness initiative. This recognition, facilitated through the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace, streamlines procurement processes by emphasizing innovation, scalability, and mission impact key factors in strengthening the nation’s energy resilience.   What Does ‘Awardable’ Mean?  Being labeled as ‘Awardable’ by the DOD means that these companies have met the stringent criteria required for direct contracting opportunities with the U.S. government. This designation simplifies the acquisition process and ensures that cutting-edge geothermal technologie can be rapidly deployed to support military bases and critical infrastructure.   The Role of Geothermal Energy...

Texas Reaches New Energy Milestone with First Permitted Geothermal Well

A Historic Moment for Geothermal Energy in Texas By:  Robert Buluma In a groundbreaking development for Texas’ renewable energy landscape  Rail Road Commision (RRC) has issued its first permit for a deep geo-pressured geothermal well. The permit, granted to Sage Geosystems  for a site in Atascosa County, marks a pivotal shift in the state's approach to energy diversification. This milestone represents a significant advancement in geothermal energy in Texas , further cementing the state's reputation as a leader in energy innovation. The well, located in the Anaconcho Formation south of San Antonio, is the first of its kind since regulatory authority over such projects transitioned from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to the RRC. The project, in partnership with San Miguel Electric Cooperative , will supply electricity while demonstrating the potential of geo-pressured geothermal energy as a viable renewable resource. What Is Geo-Pressured Geothermal En...

PT Supreme Energy Miata Laboh Officially Signs EPC Contract for Muara Laboh Stage 2 Geothermal Project

The EPC contract was signed with a consortium of reputable partners  Sumitomo Corporation , PT Inyi Kanya Teknik Persada , and PT Wasa Mitra Engineering  ensuring a collaborative effort that leverages the strengths of each organization.  By: Robert Buluma The contract signing events included a handover ceremony held on February 13, 2025, at  SEML's Head Office and the official contract signing on December 24, 2025 . This article delves into the details of the project, the significance of this milestone, and its anticipated impact on the local community and Indonesia’s broader renewable energy objectives. Project Overview: The Muara Laboh Stage 2 Geothermal Project Understanding Geothermal Energy in Indonesia Indonesia is uniquely positioned as one of the world's richest countries in geothermal resources. Geothermal energy harnesses the natural heat stored beneath the Earth's surface, offering a sustainable, clean, and renewable power source. As global energy ...

The $500 Billion Energy Revolution: How Geothermal is About to Change Everything

A Silent Energy Revolution is Underway Robert Buluma Image: Fumaroles emanating from the ground, a geothermal manifestation, credit: unsplash The global energy landscape is shifting. While solar and wind have dominated discussions on renewable energy, a new powerhouse is emerging  geothermal energy . Backed by investments from tech giants, oil majors, and governments, geothermal is quietly positioning itself as the next trillion-dollar industry. With the potential to replace fossil fuels, reshape economies, and revolutionize energy grids , geothermal is no longer a niche sector it’s the future of energy . In this article, we’ll explore why geothermal energy is set to explode, the key players driving this shift, and how it could disrupt traditional energy markets . The Key Players Betting on Geothermal Geothermal energy is no longer just the domain of specialized companies. Big Tech, oil giants, and governments are now pouring billions into the sector, recognizing its potential...

Popular posts from this blog

Unlocking Impermeable Geothermal Reservoirs: Hydraulic Stimulation, Menengai and Olkaria

Unlocking the Impermeable Reservoir: Lessons from a 30-Year Reservoir Engineer An Alphaxioms interview with Richard Joseph Holt, Principal Consultant in Reservoir Engineering at RESPEC . Context: Menengai East and Olkaria Central. Every geothermal developer knows the moment.  The rig is gone and the money is spent. The well is drilled to depth, the temperature is there, and then the well will not flow. The heat is real, but the connection between the well and the reservoir is not. Wells like this sit at the centre of one of the most important questions in geothermal development: what do you do with a tight reservoir? Walk away and drill again, or find a way to unlock what is already there? To explore the question, Alphaxioms spoke with Richard Joseph Holt, Principal Consultant in Reservoir Engineering at RESPEC . Richard brings 30 years of global experience in geothermal energy.  We framed our questions around two settings, Menengai East and Olkaria Central, and asked him how ...

Global Geothermal Investment 2026: 15 High-Growth Markets

Global Geothermal Investment 2026: 15 Markets Where Developers Should Look Next Geothermal energy is entering its most investable decade yet, with developers, drilling contractors, turbine suppliers and private capital providers scanning a widening map of opportunities beyond the traditional “big five” producers.  This article profiles 15 markets where project pipelines, policy signals, resource quality and technology readiness converge to create compelling entry points in 2026 and beyond.  Why 2026 Is a Turning Point for Geothermal Capital Global geothermal investment is accelerating as governments seek firm, low‑carbon baseload to back up variable wind and solar, while advanced drilling and subsurface engineering lower costs and expand the resource base. Market analysts project the geothermal energy market to reach roughly USD 13.56 billion by 2030, up from about USD 9.81 billion in 2025, implying sustained double‑digit growth in development spend. Capital is flowing not onl...

GDC Opens Restricted Tender for Menengai Wellbore Scale Services

GDC Opens Restricted Tender for Menengai Wellbore Scale Services Kenya’s Geothermal Development Company Limited (GDC) has announced a new restricted tender targeting one of the most technically important challenges in geothermal field operations: scale formation and its removal from geothermal wells and formations . The procurement notice, posted by GDC on 29 September 2026 , seeks qualified firms to provide specialized downhole wellbore and formation-scale removal and scaling mitigation services for geothermal wells and reservoirs at the Menengai Geothermal Field . The planned service period is three years , creating an opportunity for specialized geothermal service companies with experience in downhole intervention, scale management, wellbore remediation and formation-scale mitigation. According to the notice, interested and qualified firms must submit their full company details and contacts together with their Electronic Government Procurement System (eGP) registration number t...

Arverne secures Limagne geothermal lithium permit to boost supply

Arverne expands geothermal asset portfolio with new lithium exploration permit in Auvergne Arverne secures 442.7 km² PER “Bassin de Limagne” near Clermont-Ferrand French geothermal developer Arverne (Euronext: ARVEN) has been granted an exclusive research permit (Permis Exclusif de Recherches, PER) for lithium and related substances covering the “Bassin de Limagne” in Puy‑de‑Dôme, Auvergne. The five‑year permit, announced 3 September 2026, spans 442.68 km² and adds to Arverne’s growing national portfolio of PERs: the company now holds nine permits in France, three of which are focused on lithium. The award underscores Arverne’s strategy to combine geothermal heat production with geothermal lithium extraction — an integrated model the company is already deploying elsewhere in France. For the Auvergne permit, Arverne emphasizes that the Bassin de Limagne area overlaps with its existing PER for the Riom‑Clermont‑Métropole, where 3D exploration studies have previously evaluated the subsurf...

Billionaire Families Bet on Advanced Geothermal Energy Investments

Billionaire Geothermal Families Bet on Geothermal Billionaire families and private investment offices are placing increasingly large bets on geothermal energy, especially on technologies designed to make the resource available in more locations. Their investments are helping finance enhanced geothermal systems, advanced drilling, closed-loop designs, and other approaches that could transform geothermal from a regionally concentrated power source into a globally scalable clean-energy industry. The investment surge reflects a broader change in the energy market. Electricity demand is rising because of artificial intelligence, data centers, industrial electrification, electric vehicles, and the expansion of digital infrastructure. At the same time, utilities and large corporations need power that is reliable around the clock. Solar and wind remain essential to the clean-energy transition, but their output varies with weather and time of day. Geothermal could complement these technologies ...

Maren Maras plans 99-MW geothermal power development in Aydin, Türkiye

Maren Maras plans 99-MW geothermal power development in Aydin, Türkiye Maren Maras is planning a 99-MW geothermal development in Aydın’s Germencik district, consisting of three 33-MW plants with binary-cycle technology, based on regulatory filings and the Final EIA report. The project is expected to generate about 730 GWh annually and requires an estimated TRY 1.82 billion investment. Maren Maras Plans 99-MW Geothermal Power Development in Aydın, Türkiye Maren Maras Elektrik Üretim Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş., part of Kipaş Holding, has advanced plans for a major geothermal expansion in Türkiye’s Aydın province. According to regulatory documents and reporting on the company’s environmental filings, the project will add 99 MW of installed geothermal capacity in the Germencik district through three separate 33-MW power plants.  The project adds another large-scale development to one of Türkiye’s most active geothermal regions. Aydın has long been a core province for geothermal power in th...

Saudi Arabia AI Data Centers Adopt Strataphy PrimeLoop Cooling Technology

Strataphy Partners With HUMAIN to Deploy PrimeLoop Cooling Across Saudi Arabia’s AI Data Centers Saudi Arabia is moving rapidly to establish itself as a global artificial intelligence and data-center powerhouse, and one of the most important challenges facing that ambition is not simply how much computing capacity can be installed, but how efficiently that computing capacity can be cooled. At LEAP 2026, Strataphy announced a partnership with HUMAIN to deploy its PrimeLoop® cooling technology across HUMAIN’s data-center infrastructure in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. According to the announcement, the engagement represents the first deployment of its kind for PrimeLoop® in Saudi Arabia and is designed to address one of the fundamental constraints of large-scale AI infrastructure: thermal management. The partnership comes as HUMAIN works toward a target of approximately 6 GW of AI compute. At that scale, cooling becomes a strategic infrastructure issue rather than a conventional dat...

Cornish Lithium Awards Halliburton Contract for Geothermal Lithium Project Development

Cornish Lithium awards contract for Cross Lanes Geothermal Lithium Project to Halliburton‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌...

Closed-Loop Geothermal Systems: Companies, Technology, Investment, Power

Closed-Loop Geothermal Systems: The Companies Building the Next Generation of Underground Energy Image : The Eavor Technologies Geothermal Project  Closed-loop geothermal systems represent one of the most promising frontiers in renewable energy, offering continuous, baseload power without the environmental concerns associated with conventional geothermal development. Unlike traditional open-loop systems that require hydraulic fracturing and consume large volumes of water, closed-loop geothermal circulates a working fluid through sealed underground pipes, extracting heat from hot rock formations while maintaining a self-contained system that eliminates fluid loss, induced seismicity, and reservoir depletion risks.This technology has attracted significant investment and technical innovation from a diverse array of companies spanning startups, established energy firms, and drilling specialists, each pursuing distinct approaches to unlock the vast thermal energy stored beneath the Eart...

Fervo Energy’s Cape Station Reaches Commercial Operation: A Milestone for Enhanced Geothermal

Fervo Energy’s Cape Station Reaches Commercial Operation: What the Milestone Means for Next‑Generation Geothermal On October 1, 2026, Fervo Energy announced that its first GeoBlock at Cape Station in Beaver County, Utah, reached contractual commercial operation , achieving 33 MW net and beginning revenue under a power purchase agreement (PPA). The declaration , reached one day ahead of the contractual commercial operation date after grid synchronization on September 24 , marks an important moment for enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) : a greenfield, first‑of‑a‑kind development moving from construction into contracted revenue. This article explains the technical approach Fervo used, evaluates performance and schedule claims, examines cost and scalability implications, places the project in the competitive market context, and summarizes key risks investors and industry watchers should track. What Fervo built: GeoBlocks and the Cape Station design Fervo’s project architecture centers on ...