Italy’s FER2 Auction Approves Two Zero‑Emissions Geothermal Projects — What It Means for the Market Overview: FER2’s first geothermal auction and the winners Italy’s FER2 incentive mechanism — established by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) to stimulate renewable investment through long‑term Contracts for Difference (CfDs) — has completed its first geothermal tender, awarding favourable rankings to two zero‑emissions projects with a combined capacity of 29.4 MW. The auction aimed to allocate a dedicated 30 MW quota for geothermal plants that operate with no net emissions, and it selected: - Pola 1: a 24.4 MW project in Jolanda di Savoia, Ferrara. - ITW & LKW Geotermia Italia: a 5 MW plant in Castel Giorgio, Terni. Two other bids — a 12.69 MW project in Castelnuovo di Val di Cecina by Magma Energy Italia and a 5 MW proposal in Monterotondo Marittimo from Enel Green Power Italia — were excluded from the final rankings. The FER2 framework sets explicit timeli...
Gradient Geothermal Supporting First-in-the-Nation Colorado Initiative to Transform Orphan Oil & Gas Wells into Geothermal and Carbon Storage Assets By: Robert Buluma In a groundbreaking move that bridges the fossil fuel era with a clean energy future, Gradient Geothermal, a Denver-based innovator in geothermal technology, has announced its support for a pioneering technical study led by Colorado's Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) and the Colorado Energy Office (CEO). Announced on March 3, 2026, this initiative marks the first statewide effort of its kind to repurpose orphaned oil and gas wells long considered environmental liabilities—into valuable assets for geothermal energy production and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). Orphaned wells are abandoned oil and gas wells with no identifiable owner or operator responsible for plugging them. In Colorado, the ECMC oversees an Orphaned Well Program that identifies, prioritizes, and addresses these sites to pr...