Újbuda Gets Approval to Explore Its Geothermal Energy Potential Budapest’s Újbuda district has received approval to examine whether geothermal energy can contribute to its future heating and energy needs. The decision places one of the capital’s most densely populated districts at the centre of Hungary’s broader effort to make better use of its underground thermal resources. The approval does not mean that a geothermal power plant or district-heating system will be built immediately. Instead, it allows the district and its partners to investigate the geological conditions, technical feasibility, environmental implications and financial requirements of using heat stored beneath the city. The project could eventually support cleaner heating, reduce dependence on imported natural gas and strengthen Budapest’s energy resilience. Its success, however, will depend on careful geological research, responsible water management, transparent public consultation and a realistic financing model. Wh...
If You Had $1 Billion for Geothermal in 2026, Where Wouldn’t You Invest? Image: A thematic image of a drilling rig on a geothermal, well pad Geothermal is becoming one of the most interesting corners of clean energy, but that does not mean every market deserves your capital. In 2026, the smartest geothermal investors are not asking where the hottest rocks are, they are asking where geology, contracts, policy, and execution line up well enough to justify real money. The real investment test If you had $1 billion to deploy in geothermal, you would not start with hype. You would start with bankability, because geothermal is a business of drilled wells, long timelines, heavy upfront costs, and a very unforgiving path from theory to cash flow. A project can look excellent on a resource map and still underperform badly if permitting drags, community consent is weak, tariffs are mispriced, or the grid cannot absorb the power. That is why this article focuses on where you would not put capita...