In tandem with the release of CRES Forum’s latest white paper, The Conservative Case for Next Generation Geothermal Energy, our team partnered with Project InnerSpace to host a daylong event with featured speakers including Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah), Reps. Randy Weber (R-Texas) and August Pfluger (R-Texas), as well as industry leaders.
The day began with opening remarks from CRES Forum President Heather Reams followed by remarks from Sen. John Curtis, who highlighted the important role next generation geothermal will play in securing our nation’s energy future and underscored the importance of investing in research and development.
Next, Rep. Weber joined us to dive deeper into the benefits of geothermal energy, including its reliability. Because geothermal energy taps into heat from deep underground, it provides significant grid reliability and resiliency benefits, regardless of outside interference such as extreme weather, accidents or physical attacks. Weber also discussed the opportunity for American ingenuity to shine as the geothermal market expands.
The programming continued with a series of panels featuring industry experts and key stakeholders. CRES Forum Director of Congressional Policy Michael Yancey joined a panel on federal and state policy to provide a summary of the white paper’s findings. Yancey also discussed policy recommendations detailed in the white paper: federal permitting reform overhaul; maintaining existing clean energy tax incentives to spur private investment; and robust federal funding for research and development to advance next generation technology.
Following the panels, Rep. August Pfluger joined the stage with remarks focused on the untapped potential of geothermal energy, specifically in his home district, which includes the Permian Basin. Pfluger emphasized the overlap in technology between geothermal and traditional oil and gas drilling. With an existing skilled workforce, the expansion of geothermal would be seamless.
The programming wrapped up with keynote remarks from Secretary Wright, who made clear geothermal advancements will be a top priority for the Department of Energy under his leadership. Wright also focused on the potential for geothermal to power AI and data centers, manufacturing, and everyday electricity needs.
The event concluded with a networking reception to provide attendees an opportunity to debrief after a day full of educational programming. CRES Forum remains committed to supporting commonsense policies to advance all forms of American energy—including geothermal.