Wildcatting Heat
Reexamining the possibilities and limitations of geothermal energy.
“It ain't the heat, it's the humility.”—Yogi Berra
Donald Trump’s return to the White House released a cacophony of sad trombones for the global renewable energy sector. In what can only be described as one of the most dramatic policy reversals of the modern era, Trump signed numerous executive orders within hours of his inauguration in a series of aggressive actions against the industry. Barely a day passes without Operation Whiplash™ dealing a fresh blow, and this week delivered yet another major setback:
“The United States is preparing to withdraw from the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), a collaborative effort designed to assist developing nations in moving away from coal and adopting cleaner energy sources. As per the media reports, the decision, which comes after the initiative was first declared in 2021 at the United Nations climate talks in Glasgow, will see the USA end its support for energy transition programs in Vietnam, Indonesia, and South Africa.
According to multiple sources with knowledge of the matter, the USA is expected to pull back from its substantial financial commitments to these countries. In total, USA pledges for Indonesia and Vietnam exceed USD 3 billion, while its commitment for South Africa stands at USD 1.063 billion as part of a larger USD 11.6 billion package. These funds were intended to help these nations reduce their reliance on coal and invest in renewable energy infrastructure.”
Like the lone house left standing in a tornado-ravaged neighborhood, geothermal energy stands as the one alternative energy option supported by both the Biden and Trump administrations. In the Declaring a National Energy Emergency and Unleashing American Energy executive orders signed on January 20, 2025, to promote energy advancement, President Trump was careful to include geothermal energy, a point his newly-confirmed Secretary of Energy drove home at a major industry conference last week:
“Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on Tuesday threw his support behind a vast expansion in geothermal energy. Emerging forms of geothermal use technology from the fossil fuel industry to generate power on demand without air pollution—something Wright’s company, Liberty Energy, invested millions in.
While geothermal ‘hasn’t achieved liftoff yet, it should and it can,’ Wright told attendees at MAGMA, a Republican-facing pro-geothermal event in D.C. on Tuesday. A mature geothermal industry, he said, ‘could better energize our country, improve the quality of life for everyone. It could help enable AI, manufacturing, reshoring and stop the rise of our electricity prices.’”
As a recently published report by the International Energy Agency makes clear, there are concrete reasons why geothermal energy enjoys bipartisan support. The Earth functions as a massive nuclear reactor, generating far more high-grade heat than humanity could ever harvest. Tapping even a tiny fraction of this energy would be “sufficient to meet global electricity demand 140-times over.” Unlike wind and solar, geothermal energy is dispatchable—it can provide reliable, on-demand electricity that adjusts to grid needs. It has been nearly three years since we last examined the technology, and given these developments, we felt it worthy of another look. Let’s explore what has changed, whether the current excitement is justified, and the key challenge that may always constrain geothermal energy’s growth.