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California Court Orders New Environmental Review for Imperial County Geothermal Lithium Project

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
California Appeals Court Orders New Environmental Review for Imperial County Geothermal–Lithium Project Image: California Salton Lake Sea Hell’s Kitchen geothermal and lithium extraction plan sent back for deeper water, air-quality and mitigation analysis under CEQA A California appeals court has ordered Imperial County to conduct a more rigorous environmental review of the proposed Hell’s Kitchen geothermal power plant and lithium extraction project near the Salton Sea. The Fourth District Court of Appeal found that the county’s original environmental impact report (EIR) did not adequately address long-term water availability, enforceable mitigation measures for water shortages, or potential air-quality impacts tied to the receding Salton Sea. The ruling partially reverses a lower court decision and remands the case to Imperial County Superior Court, requiring the county and project developer Controlled Thermal Resources to address the identified deficiencies before the project can mo...
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TerraLithium and BHE Renewables Achieve Key Milestones Toward Commercializing Direct Lithium Extraction

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
TerraLithium and BHE Renewables Achieve Key Milestones Toward Commercializing Direct Lithium Extraction June 23, 2026 By:  Robert Buluma Introduction: A Turning Point for Domestic Lithium Production On June 22, 2026, TerraLithium —a wholly owned subsidiary of Occidental —and  BHE Renewables announced significant advancements in their direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology portfolio, marking a pivotal moment for the domestic lithium supply chain in the United States. The companies have successfully produced lithium chloride using their DLE process at BHE Renewables ' geothermal facility in Calipatria, California, followed by the manufacture of battery-grade lithium carbonate. Additionally, they achieved the direct conversion of lithium chloride into lithium hydroxide using a commercial-scale electrolyzer at TerraLithium's R&D facility in Brawley, California. These milestones represent more than just technical achievements—they signal the emergence of a responsible,...
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Fervo Energy and South California Edison Inks A 320 MW PPA Agreement

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Fervo Energy Secures Landmark 320 MW Power Purchase Agreements with Southern California Edison By: Robert Buluma In a move that underscores the growing demand for sustainable energy solutions, Fervo Energy, a pioneer in next-generation geothermal technology, has announced two monumental power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Southern California Edison (SCE). Totalling 320 MW, these agreements represent the world's largest geothermal PPAs to date, cementing geothermal energy's critical role in the transition to a cleaner energy future. A Milestone in Clean Energy Set against the backdrop of California's ambitious clean energy goals, the 15-year agreements will see SCE purchasing 24/7 carbon-free geothermal energy from Fervo's Cape Station project in southwest Utah. This power will serve approximately 350,000 homes across Southern California, bolstering the state's grid reliability with a steady supply of renewable energy. David Hochschild, Chair of the California Ener...
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Dominica Geothermal Milestone: Ormat’s Plant Boosts Caribbean Clean Energy Transition

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Dominica’s Geothermal Breakthrough: What Ormat’s First Power Plant Means for the Caribbean and the Global Energy Transition Dominica has taken a major step forward in clean energy with the commercial operation of its first geothermal power plant, developed by Ormat Technologies . This milestone is more than a national achievement; it is a strong signal that geothermal energy can play a much larger role in the Caribbean’s future electricity mix. For an island region long dependent on imported diesel and exposed to fuel price volatility, the shift matters. Dominica’s new geothermal plant offers a cleaner, more stable, and locally produced source of power, and it could become a model for other volcanic islands seeking energy independence. A historic moment for Dominica Dominica sits in the Lesser Antilles volcanic arc, a region with substantial geothermal potential beneath its mountains and rugged terrain. For years, experts have known the island has the geological conditions needed for ...
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Dynelectro, Syntholene, and the Geothermal SOEC Breakthrough in Iceland

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Dynelectro, Syntholene, and the Geothermal SOEC Breakthrough in Iceland Dynelectro’s role in the Syntholene Iceland project highlights a major shift in how the market should think about SOEC technology. For years, solid oxide electrolysis cells have been seen as highly efficient but too difficult to commercialize because of stack degradation, short operating life, and the complexity of integrating them into real industrial systems. This project helps challenge that view by showing how geothermal integration, advanced power electronics, and system-level design can make SOEC a credible industrial solution.   The most important takeaway is simple: the market has often misunderstood SOEC as a technology limited by chemistry alone, when in fact a large part of the challenge is operational. Dynelectro’s approach shows that if the stack is controlled properly and supported by the right electrical architecture, SOEC can move much closer to commercial viability. The Syntholene Iceland ...
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Geothermal Innovation, Superhot Systems, Social License, and the Future of Global Geothermal Energy

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
In this interview, Dr. Amel Barich, Founder & CEO of Geoscience Research and Communications (GRC) , shares insights into the future of geothermal energy, covering superhot geothermal systems, advanced drilling, international collaboration, social license to operate, developing-country opportunities, and the growing role of geothermal in integrated energy systems.  Image : Dr. Amel Barich Founder & CEO, Geoscience Research and Communications (GRC) Geoscientist | Geothermal R&D&I | Social License to Operate Q1. Could you briefly introduce yourself and describe your current role in advancing geothermal innovation? I am a geoscientist and geothermal professional with a background spanning geothermal research and innovation, international collaboration, policy and science diplomacy, stakeholder engagement, and strategic communication. Over the past decade, I have worked from Iceland across major European and international geothermal initiatives, leading collaborative R...
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Oil and Gas Giants Pivot to Geothermal: Investments, Drilling Expertise, Enhanced Systems, Repurposing Wells

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Oil and Gas Companies Entering the Geothermal Energy Industry Oil and gas companies are becoming increasingly active in geothermal energy. Their involvement includes direct project development, investment in geothermal startups, drilling and well services, engineering, equipment manufacturing, subsurface studies, geothermal heating, and the conversion of abandoned or nonproductive oil and gas wells. At least 80 oil and gas companies have some form of participation in the geothermal sector. When major oil companies, national oil companies, oilfield-service providers, drilling contractors, engineering firms, geoscience companies, equipment manufacturers, investors, and technology startups are included, the number can reasonably exceed 100. This shift is one of the most important developments in the modern geothermal industry. Oil and gas companies already possess many of the skills required to develop geothermal resources, including geological interpretation, seismic imaging, reservoir m...
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Philippines Geothermal Drilling: Rufino "Dong" Cotanda Jr. on PGPC, EDC, ThermaPrime, and the Future of Geothermal Energy

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Alphaxioms Exclusive: Inside the Philippines' Geothermal Drilling Success Story , A Conversation with Rufino "Dong" Cotanda Jr. Image : Rufino "Dong" Cotanda Jr The Philippines is the world's third-largest producer of geothermal electricity, with more than 2 GW of installed capacity. Behind this achievement is decades of technical expertise, sustained government support, and some of the world's most experienced geothermal drilling professionals. One of those professionals is Rufino "Dong" Cotanda Jr., a drilling veteran with over 45 years of experience in both oil & gas and geothermal operations. Having worked with Saudi Aramco , Desco , Unocal, Chevron , and now the Philippine Geothermal Production Company (PGPC), Dong has helped shape drilling programs across multiple continents. In this exclusive interview with Alphaxioms, he discusses the evolution of geothermal drilling in the Philippines, the technologies improving well performance,...
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Europe Geothermal Energy Investment Opportunities, Companies, Resources, and Market Outlook

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Investment Opportunities in Europe’s Geothermal Energy Market: Country-by-Country Resources, Companies, Challenges, and Growth Prospects Europe is developing one of the world’s most diverse geothermal investment markets. The continent combines mature geothermal electricity industries in Italy, Iceland, and Türkiye with rapidly expanding district-heating markets in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, Denmark, and Switzerland. The most attractive European opportunities are not limited to power generation. Investors can participate in geothermal district heating and cooling, industrial heat, geothermal heat pumps, enhanced geothermal systems, closed-loop systems, thermal storage, lithium extraction, drilling services, equipment manufacturing, and integrated energy networks. The European Geothermal Energy Council reported that ten new geothermal district-heating and cooling systems began operation during 2025, adding approximately 70 MWth of capacity. New systems were report...
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UPLIFT Project: Advancing Safe Enhanced Geothermal Systems in Europe

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
UPLIFT Project: Advancing Safe and Efficient Enhanced Geothermal Systems in Europe Image:The UPLIFT consortium at the project kick-off meeting in Potsdam, Germany, 8–9 June 2026. Europe has launched a new research initiative focused on unlocking heat from deep, hot, and low-permeability rocks. Known as UPLIFT“Unlocking Petrothermal Lithologies through Innovative Fracture Technologies”—the four-year Horizon Europe project will develop and demonstrate safer, more efficient, and more socially acceptable  Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). Running from May 2026 to April 2030, UPLIFT will conduct a field-scale demonstration at the RINGEN geothermal research site in Litoměřice, Czechia. The project brings together eight partners from five European countries to address some of the most difficult challenges facing deep geothermal energy, including high drilling costs, low reservoir productivity, induced seismicity, stimulation efficiency, and public acceptance.  The project could beco...
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Geothermal heat pumps for universities: campus decarbonization, industrial heat pumps, and state grant funding

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Massachusetts’ $23M Push: How Geothermal, Industrial Heat Pumps and Efficiency Grants Can Transform Campus Decarbonization Image: MIT, Cambridge  Massachusetts’ recent award of approximately $23 million in decarbonization implementation grants to public universities and state facilities is more than a set of individual projects — it’s a practical blueprint for how public-sector institutions can accelerate fossil-fuel retirement, reduce operating costs, and scale up low-carbon heating technologies. The grant round, made through the Department of Energy Resources’ Leading by Example (LBE) Decarbonization Implementation Grant (DIG) program, funds a range of measures from campus-scale geothermal systems to industrial heat pumps, air-source heat pumps, building envelope upgrades, and rooftop solar. Together the projects demonstrate how targeted public investments can unlock larger capital programs, yield sizeable greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions, and create replicable models for universi...
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Burghausen geothermal district heating: €27M investment drives municipal climate-neutral heat transition and resilience

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Burghausen Approves Geothermal District Heating: A €27 Million Bet on Climate-Neutral Urban Heat The town of Burghausen has taken a decisive step toward a low-carbon heating future. On 6 August 2026 the supervisory board and shareholder meeting of Energieversorgung Burghausen GmbH (EBG) — jointly owned by the city of Burghausen and Energie Südbayern (ESB) — unanimously approved the implementation of a geothermal district heating project. With an investment envelope of roughly €27 million and plans for heat transport over approximately 10 kilometres from the Naturwärme Kirchweidach-Halsbach production site, the project aims to deliver climate-neutral heat to local households, public buildings and businesses, and to position Burghausen as a regional model for municipal heat transition. This article explains the technical concept, the economics and financing pathway, expected timeline and benefits, potential risks and mitigation strategies, and the wider policy and market context that mak...
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Top 100 Geothermal Companies in the World in 2026: The Ultimate Industry Guide

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Top 100 Geothermal Companies in the World in 2026: The Ultimate Industry Guide The global geothermal industry is entering a new phase of growth. Established geothermal operators continue to expand conventional hydrothermal power, while enhanced geothermal systems, closed loop designs, geothermal lithium extraction, advanced drilling, and geothermal heating technologies are opening new markets. Geothermal power remains one of the few renewable energy sources capable of supplying firm electricity around the clock. Its ability to operate independently of sunshine and wind makes it increasingly valuable to utilities, industrial users, manufacturers, and data centers seeking reliable low carbon power. This guide profiles 100 of the most influential companies, developers, manufacturers, drilling contractors, technology providers, startups, and industry organizations shaping the geothermal sector in 2026. The ranking is organized by market influence, operating capacity, technology, project pi...
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