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Italy FER2 zero-emissions geothermal auction: 29.4MW projects approved

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...

Inside the Geothermal Startup Mind: The Strategy, Funding & Sacrifices Behind Teverra’s Growth

Inside a Geothermal Startup’s Mind: Strategy, Funding, Ethics, and the Brutal Race to Commercialize This interview was done by Robert Buluma on behalf of Alphaxioms  Image:  The Interviewee, Dr.  Hamed Soroush is the Founder and President at Teverra  There’s a certain kind of silence that exists inside fast-growing startups. Not the quiet of peace, but the quiet of pressure . It’s the silence of teams racing to commercialize before competitors arrive. The silence of founders balancing mission and survival. The silence of a clean energy industry that desperately needs success stories… but is still learning how to measure them. In this one-on-one interview, we explore what it really takes to build a geothermal-driven clean energy company in today’s market, from strategic decisions and funding discipline to leadership, ethics, and the painful sacrifices behind growth. 1)  Vision & Strategy: “Speed Is Everything” Q:   Teverra  has grown rapidly, but co...

How the Constellation–Calpine Merger Pushed Geothermal Into the Baseload Spotlight

Constellation–Calpine Merger: Why Geothermal and Firm Clean Power Now Matter More Than Ever By: Robert Buluma The U.S. electricity sector is entering a defining moment, one where scale, regulatory scrutiny, and the search for firm clean power, are converging. The approval of Constellation’s $26.6 billion acquisition of Calpine is not just a headline-grabbing merger; it is a powerful signal about the future structure of power markets and the growing strategic value of geothermal energy and other always-on renewables. As federal regulators force divestments, allow unprecedented scale, and reassert antitrust authority, one question becomes unavoidable: **where does geothermal fit in a power system increasingly dominated by mega-utilities? The Deal,and Why It Matters for Clean Baseload To close the acquisition, Constellation agreed to divest six power plants and a minority stake in a seventh across Texas, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. These concessions were demanded by federal regulators c...

Teverra's AI-Powered Breakthrough: Revolutionizing Clean Energy Drilling with Real-Time Risk Management

Teverra's  AI-Driven Innovation Set to Revolutionize Clean Energy Well Drilling  By:  Robert Buluma Department of Energy Awards $1.2 Million Grant for Real-Time Drilling Risk Management  ATLANTA, January 30, 2025 — In a groundbreaking move for clean energy technology, Teverra LLC has secured a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The funding will propel the advancement of Teverra’s Drilling Dynamics Geomechanics (DDG™) technology into real-time capabilities, setting the stage for a transformative era in subsurface drilling operations.   Geothermal drilling, For day ones they will attest that it could take atleast half the amount of coming up with a geothermal power plant. However this is no longer the case when we think of this groundbreaking breakthrough which was recently unearthed Spearheaded by Dr. Hamed Soroush,  Teverra's founder and CEO, this initiative promises to tackle some of the most critical challenges in CO2 stora...

Transforming Geothermal Energy: GTO and ConnectWerx Launch $19 Million Regional Data Expansion Initiative

Geothermal Technology Office  and  ConnectWerx Launch $19 Million Initiative to Enhance Regional Geothermal Data Collection By: Robert Buluma The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) , in collaboration with ConnectWerx , has announced a substantial funding opportunity aimed at strengthening geothermal data collection across various U.S. regions. This $19 million initiative seeks to identify and address regional data gaps, thereby promoting further geothermal exploration and development. The US Department of Energy has been very much supportive in Geothermal Energy fasttracking  initiatives that  are rewriting the geothermal energy saga globally with proven yet nerve shredding unveiling unfoldings in this less known yet very much instrumental industry Objective of the Initiative The primary goal of this funding opportunity is to establish regional partnerships that will: - Identify existing gaps in geothermal data. - Prioritize and p...

Unleashing Superhot Geothermal Energy: Revolutionizing Renewable Power Generation

Heating Things Up: Superhot Rock Research Unlocking Geothermal Potential By: Robert Buluma Image: This stones, the tranchyte family ...magical when underneath In the shadow of Oregon's Newberry Volcano, a groundbreaking venture is reshaping the future of renewable energy. With heat trapped deep within the Earth's crust, superhot rock geothermal resources offer an extraordinary opportunity to redefine how we produce electricity. The Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO), with the support of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), is at the forefront of this transformation, aiming to harness the immense potential of superhot geothermal systems.   Earlier on we had reported on how Mazama Energy had received funding from US Department of Energy  , This funding had streched into Fervo Energy and Chevron New Energies.  Why Superhot Rocks Matter Did you know that just 1% of the U.S.'s superhot rock geothermal potential could produce 4.3 terawatts of electricity—nearly four ...

USA Vouches to revamp its Geothermal with AI

Biden Administration to Boost Geothermal Energy for AI Growth By: Robert Buluma In a groundbreaking move, the Biden administration is set to unveil policies aimed at streamlining permitting processes for geothermal energy development. This effort is part of a broader executive order to bolster infrastructure for AI data centers, signaling the critical role of renewable energy in shaping the future of artificial intelligence.  The proposed measures, expected to be published within a week, highlight the urgency of accelerating approvals for geothermal and nuclear energy projects. Central to the initiative is the establishment of geothermal energy priority zones and a competitive framework for companies to build data centers on federal land. These steps aim to meet the increasing energy demands of AI technologies, which are projected to double current electricity requirements. The Role of Geothermal Energy in AI Infrastructure Geothermal energy, with its low carbon footprint and relia...

Sage Geosytems To Power Meta Data Centers With 150 MW of Geothermal Energy

Sage Geosystems and Meta Unveil a Groundbreaking Geothermal Power Partnership: A New Era of Clean Energy Innovation By: Robert Buluma In an unprecedented move that promises to reshape the landscape of renewable energy in the United States, Sage Geosystems (Sage) and Meta Platforms, Inc. (Meta) have announced a pioneering agreement to harness the power of next-generation geothermal energy. This partnership, revealed at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Catalyzing Next Generation Geothermal Development Workshop, marks the first implementation of advanced geothermal power east of the Rocky Mountains—a milestone that could catalyze a seismic shift in how we meet our growing energy demands. The deal between Sage and Meta, which aims to deliver up to 150 MW of new geothermal baseload power to support Meta’s rapidly expanding data centers, is more than just a business agreement. It is a statement of intent, showcasing the critical role that clean, firm, and resilient power sources will pl...

US Reduces Geothermal Permitting Stage From Seven to Two Years

Energy Permitting Legislation from Senators Manchin & Barrasso Will Advance Geothermal in US By: Robert Buluma Accelarated NEPA timelines In a significant step towards a cleaner energy future, the U.S. Senate has introduced the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024, a transformative piece of legislation that promises to revolutionize the geothermal energy sector. This landmark bill, incorporating crucial elements of the bipartisan Geothermal Energy Optimization (GEO) Act of 2024, aims to streamline the permitting process for geothermal projects, significantly accelerating their development across the country .  Eavor Technologies Inc., a leader in advanced geothermal solutions, has hailed this legislation as a major breakthrough. Jeanine Vany, Eavor's co-founder and executive vice president of corporate affairs, expressed enthusiastic support, highlighting how the bill will facilitate the deployment of Eavor's groundbreaking closed-loop geothermal technology. This innovative...

XGS Energy Acquires Capuono Engineering Geothermal Service Company To Bolster Its Grip

XGS Energy  Acquires Premier Geothermal Drilling Services Company Capuano Engineering By: Robert Buluma In a bold move set to redefine the geothermal energy landscape, XGS Energy has announced the acquisition of Capuano Engineering, a leading global player in geothermal drilling and completion services. This strategic acquisition positions XGS Energy to expand its innovative geothermal technology on a global scale, leveraging Capuano Engineering's extensive expertise and experience in the field. A Leap Forward in Geothermal Technology XGS Energy , based in Palo Alto, California, has been at the forefront of geothermal energy innovation. Their proprietary Thermal Reach Enhancement (TRE) system uses materials that are 50 times more thermally conductive than rock, enabling high-efficiency closed-loop geothermal systems. Unlike conventional geothermal technologies that require specific geological conditions and access to water reservoirs, XGS’s technology can be deployed anywhere, offe...

$14.2 Million Announced Subsequently by US DOE For Enhanced Geothermal Pilot Projects

Unleashing the Power Beneath: The Second-Round EGS Pilot Demonstrations By:  Robert Buluma image: wells of power at Kenyan Geothermal Field gushing steam Geothermal energy is a game-changer in the quest for sustainable and reliable energy sources. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is pushing the boundaries of this potential through its Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO). With the second round of funding opportunities for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) pilot demonstrations, authorized under President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the future of geothermal energy looks brighter than ever. This initiative aims to catapult EGS into the mainstream, contributing significantly to the goal of a carbon pollution-free electricity system by 2035.  What Are Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS)? Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) represent a cutting-edge approach to geothermal energy. Unlike traditional geothermal systems that rely on naturally occurring hydrothermal resources, ...

Exxon Hints On Tapping Geothermal Energy AT An S&P Event

Unlocking Earth's Secret Power: Exploring the Potential of Geothermal Energy By: Robert Buluma In a world where the energy transition is gaining momentum, the quest for sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels has never been more crucial. Among the myriad of emerging solutions, one often overlooked yet immensely promising avenue is geothermal energy. This underdog in the renewables arena holds the key to unlocking Earth's secret power, and even industry giants like  Exxon are beginning to take notice. In an exclusive interview with Axios, Exxon CEO Darren Woods revealed the company's keen interest in the progression of geothermal technology. While  Exxon isn't currently actively pursuing geothermal ventures, Woods emphasized the potential alignment and synergies between geothermal energy and the company's existing expertise. With a cautious yet watchful eye,  Exxon recognizes the possibility of integrating geothermal energy into its portfolio, provided the right ...

Google, Microsoft and Nucor To Fast Track Advanced Geothermal,

Revolutionizing Energy: A Collaborative Journey Towards Advanced Clean Electricity By: Robert Buluma In a groundbreaking alliance, tech titans  Google and Microsoft , along with steel giant Nucor Corporation , have embarked on a mission to reshape the landscape of electricity generation. The trio is not merely envisioning a cleaner future but actively spearheading initiatives to accelerate the development and adoption of advanced clean electricity technologies. At the core of this ambitious endeavor lies a profound understanding: the transition to a sustainable energy future demands more than just conventional renewables like wind and solar. To effectively combat climate change and meet the soaring global energy demand, a diverse portfolio of cutting-edge solutions is imperative. This is where advanced clean electricity technologies come into play. The International Energy Agency (IEA) underscores the critical role of these technologies in decarbonizing grids and ensuring energy se...

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Eavor Demobilizes Rigs in Geretsried: What It Means for Closed-Loop Geothermal Investors, Heat Markets, and Project Risk

Eavor Demobilizes Rigs from Geretsried: What It Really Means for Closed-Loop Geothermal For three years, two drilling rigs on a farm estate near Geretsried, a Bavarian town about 40 km south of Munich, stood as the symbol of the world's most ambitious closed-loop geothermal experiment. Now in October 2026,  Eavor Technologies, the Calgary-based developer of the Eavor-Loop, has told the town and its heating utility that both rigs would leave the site . The company said keeping idle rigs and specialist services on site was costly, and that releasing them would help put the project in the strongest position to continue with Loop 2 once its commercial structure is reworked . On the surface, this is a logistics decision. Underneath, it is one of the clearest signals yet about where first-of-a-kind geothermal technology stands, and how hard it is to turn a technical proof into a bankable business. This article explains exactly what happened, what the move means and what it does not mean...

Endurance Energy Tests World's First Subsea Geothermal Well at Axial Seamount

Endurance Energy Tests the World's First Subsea Geothermal Well: What the Axial Seamount Demonstration Really Proved What if geothermal energy did not need a power plant on land? What if electricity could be produced directly from the Earth's heat beneath the ocean, with generators sitting on the seafloor and sending power to coastal grids? On October 19, 2026, Seattle-based startup Endurance Energy announced a major step toward that idea. The company said it had drilled and completed the world's first subsea geothermal well and placed a 3-ton test power plant nearly a mile beneath the Pacific. It also reported net-positive electricity from heat at an active underwater volcano, according to its announcement on PR Newswire. The headline numbers are modest. The Adélie prototype produced more electricity than it used for about 8.7 seconds. During that time it delivered a median net output of about 2 kilowatts and a peak of 16.5 kilowatts. One detail matters more than any other...

BLM Nevada Geothermal Lease Auction Boosts Renewable Energy Investment amid Solar Land Conflict

BLM’s Nevada Geothermal Lease Auction Signals Rising Competition for Federal Energy Land The Bureau of Land Management’s latest geothermal lease sale in Nevada attracted nearly $4.83 million in total receipts, highlighting growing investor interest in geothermal resources as electricity demand rises . The auction also exposed an increasingly important land-use conflict: several geothermal parcels overlap with proposed utility-scale solar projects, including NextEra Energy’s 1,000-megawatt Sawtooth Energy Center. The October 20, 2026, sale offered 83 parcels covering approximately 265,155 acres across 10 Nevada counties. Bidders placed offers on 60 parcels covering 186,641 acres, while 23 parcels received no bids. The results provide a new measure of competition for federal geothermal acreage in one of the United States’ most important geothermal states. Auction Results The Nevada auction attracted 32 registered bidders, of which 18 submitted at least one bid. Across the sale, bidders s...

Menengai Geothermal Project Delays Expose Kenya’s Broken Steam Supply Model

Menengai’s Broken Promise: How Kenya’s Geothermal Model Lost the Steam Thematic image of the Olkaria Geothermal Field  Kenya’s Menengai geothermal project was sold as a model of modern public-private partnership. The state would carry the difficult and expensive burden of geothermal exploration and drilling. Private power producers would then build, own and operate power plants. Geothermal Development Company would supply the steam; the independent power producers would convert it into electricity; Kenya Power would buy the output. On paper, the arrangement was elegant. In practice, Menengai has exposed a far more uncomfortable reality: Kenya’s public steam-supply model is not delivering the certainty it promised. Menengai Phase I was designed to produce 105 megawatts from three 35 MW plants. GDC’s own project page says the three plants were awarded to Globeleq Menengai Geothermal, Sosian Menengai Geothermal Power and OrPower Twenty Two under a build-own-operate structure. Yet the ...

Geiselbullach Geothermal Project Confirms 10 MW District Heating Capacity

Geothermal milestone at Geiselbullach: 10 MW of heat confirmed after successful second deep well test On 15 August 2026 the Geiselbullach geothermal project reached a pivotal technical milestone: performance testing of the second deep production well completed successfully, delivering a sustained flow of 90 liters per second of thermal water at 79–80 °C. These measured parameters translate into roughly 10 MW of usable thermal power for district heating, enough to replace a portion of heat currently supplied by the municipal waste-to-energy plant (AHKW) and to create headroom for expanding the regional district heating network. The result confirms the project’s technical assumptions and moves the scheme into system-integration and commissioning activities ahead of planned commercial deliveries for the 2027 heating season. This article explains the test results and their significance, outlines the technical and operational consequences, and places the Geiselbullach development in the bro...

KenGen Risks Losing Olkaria Geothermal Wells Over Licence Error

KenGen Risks Losing Olkaria Wells Over 18-Year Licence Blunder Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) faces a serious legal and operational risk at Olkaria after an error in the coordinates of its geothermal licence left part of the company’s wells, steam infrastructure and other assets outside its legally recognised area. The licensing mistake, made nearly two decades ago, remains unresolved despite the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum acknowledging the problem in 2017.  The dispute has raised questions about the security of KenGen’s investments, the government’s management of geothermal resources and the potential consequences for Kenya’s electricity supply. Olkaria is the country’s most important geothermal centre and accounts for the overwhelming majority of Kenya’s installed geothermal generation capacity.  Licence Error Exposes Strategic Assets The problem dates back to September 19, 2008, when the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum issued KenGen a licence covering ...

Djibouti Pays KenGen: $1M Offer on a Five-Year Geothermal Drilling Debt

Djibouti Pays KenGen: A $1 Million Offer on a Five-Year-Old Geothermal Drilling Debt Djibouti has finally moved to pay part of what it owes Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) for drilling work done near Lake Assal. The amount is small next to KenGen's balance sheet. What it says about selling geothermal drilling services across Africa matters a lot more. KenGen's latest annual report says Djibouti's state geothermal agency, the Office Djiboutien de Développement de l'Énergie Géothermique (ODDEG), has offered a first instalment of about $1 million (Sh129 million) against outstanding invoices of $2.13 million (Sh276.03 million), according to Business Daily. "ODDEG has acknowledged the debt and has proposed an initial payment of $1 million as the first instalment towards settlement," KenGen said in the report. KenGen is Kenya's largest power producer, with about 54% of the market. The Kenyan government owns 70% of the company and the public holds t...

Lithium Harvest Plans Alberta Geothermal Power and Lithium Project

Lithium Harvest’s Alberta Geothermal Project Could Combine Renewable Power and Domestic Lithium Production Lithium Harvest Holding A/S has signed a letter of intent with an unnamed geothermal development partner to establish a joint venture for an integrated geothermal power and lithium production facility in Alberta, Canada. At full nameplate capacity, the proposed project is expected to produce approximately 28,500 tonnes of lithium carbonate annually while generating 0.67 TWh of renewable electricity each year. The development would use a single geothermal resource to supply both baseload power and lithium-bearing brine for direct lithium extraction and refining.  A Dual-Output Geothermal Development The proposed Alberta facility reflects a growing effort to extract more value from geothermal resources than electricity generation alone. Traditional geothermal power projects produce electricity by bringing hot underground fluids to the surface. Depending on resource temperature a...

Corva and Oliasoft Connect Well Design With Real-Time Drilling

Corva and Oliasoft Build a Continuous Learning Loop for Smarter Well Construction Introduction Corva AI and Oliasoft have announced a strategic collaboration designed to connect well engineering, real-time drilling operations and post-well analysis through a bidirectional digital workflow. The integration links Oliasoft WellDesign with Corva’s Real-Time AI platform, creating a continuous information loop in which engineering plans guide field execution and drilling results improve future well designs.  The partnership addresses one of the persistent weaknesses in modern well construction: the separation between planning software and operational systems. Although operators generate large volumes of engineering and drilling data, those datasets often remain fragmented across departments, applications and reporting processes. The result is slower decision-making, repeated manual work and limited transfer of lessons from one well to the next. By connecting design assumptions with liv...

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

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 m...