[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4406 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4406
To amend the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to direct
research, development, demonstration, and commercial application
activities in support of next-generation geothermal systems in various
conditions, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 28, 2026
Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself and Ms. Murkowski) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to direct
research, development, demonstration, and commercial application
activities in support of next-generation geothermal systems in various
conditions, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Next-Generation Geothermal Research
and Development Act''.
SEC. 2. GEOTHERMAL ENERGY.
(a) EISA Definitions.--Section 612 of the Energy Independence and
Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17191) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (8) as
paragraphs (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), and (12),
respectively;
(2) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so redesignated)
the following:
``(1) Closed-loop geothermal systems.--The term `closed-
loop geothermal systems' means a wellbore or subsurface circuit
of wellbores containing a fluid heated through contact with the
borehole wall.''; and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (8) (as so redesignated)
the following:
``(9) Next-generation geothermal systems.--The term `next-
generation geothermal systems' means--
``(A) enhanced geothermal systems;
``(B) closed-loop geothermal systems; and
``(C) in supercritical conditions--
``(i) enhanced geothermal systems;
``(ii) closed-loop geothermal systems; or
``(iii) other technologies, as determined
by the Secretary.
``(10) Supercritical conditions.--The term `supercritical
conditions' means subsurface temperature conditions at or above
the supercritical temperature of the primary fluid present.
``(11) Supercritical geothermal.--The term `supercritical
geothermal' means energy derived from a subsurface geologic
rock resource existing in-situ at or above the supercritical
temperature of the primary fluid present.''.
(b) Hydrothermal Research and Development Programs.--Section
613(b)(1) of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42
U.S.C. 17192(b)(1)) is amended by striking ``advanced geologic tools to
assist'' and inserting ``advanced tools, including machine learning
algorithms, to assist''.
(c) Geothermal Systems Research and Development.--Section 614 of
the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17193) is
amended--
(1) in subsection (d)(1), by striking ``among the Office of
Fossil Energy, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy,'' and inserting ``across the Department''; and
(2) in subsection (h)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``and publicly
available subsurface data, including data reported as
part of fossil fuel and mining operations,'' after
``geothermal drilling information''; and
(B) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end the
following:
``(C) Updates.--The repository established under
paragraph (1) shall be periodically updated in order to
carry out the following:
``(i) Standardize data in a uniform manner
to the maximum extent practicable and enable
analysis across different projects.
``(ii) Enhance the accessibility and
usability of data to increase analysis of
geothermal energy, including next-generation
geothermal systems on regional, local, and
site-specific scales.
``(iii) Increase uses of data, including
data viewable by map and organization by common
attributes such as region.
``(iv) Make other improvements in
functionality and usability, as determined by
the Secretary.
``(D) Memorandum of understanding.--
``(i) In general.--The Secretary shall
enter into a memorandum of understanding with
the Secretary of the Interior, and may enter
into a memorandum of understanding with the
head of any other relevant Federal department
or agency, for notifying, sharing, and
providing opportunities for additional data
collection regarding shared geothermal
development data from projects funded by each
applicable department or agency, including data
from mining, critical minerals, and energy
projects, such as subsurface heat data, seismic
data, lithology data, boundaries of State-
protected and federally protected areas, and
existing transmission capacity.
``(ii) Prioritization.--To the maximum
extent practicable, activities conducted under
a memorandum of understanding entered into
under clause (i) shall prioritize heat,
lithology, and strain profiles through deep
exploration boreholes and control points for
deep heat mapping and geothermal development.
``(E) Regional deep data probes.--
``(i) In general.--The Secretary shall work
with the Secretary of the Interior, who shall
be responsible for commissioning the drilling
of deep exploration boreholes deeper than 8
kilometers in depth in representative
geological provinces in the United States to
provide control points for deep heat mapping
and geothermal development.
``(ii) Requirements.--The resulting data
shall--
``(I) include an exploration of
heat, lithology, and subsurface stress
state; and
``(II) be shared publicly on the
drilling data repository.''.
(d) Enhanced Geothermal Systems Research and Development.--Section
615 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C.
17194) is amended--
(1) in the section heading, by striking ``research and
development'' and inserting ``and closed-loop geothermal
systems research, development, and testing'';
(2) by inserting ``and closed-loop geothermal systems''
after ``enhanced geothermal systems'' each place it appears;
(3) in subsection (b)--
(A) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``and
Closed-loop Geothermal Systems'' after ``Systems'';
(B) in paragraph (11), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(C) in paragraph (12), by striking the period at
the end and inserting ``; and''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
``(13) the research topics described in paragraphs (1)
through (12) in supercritical conditions.'';
(4) in subsection (c)--
(A) by inserting ``systems and closed-loop
geothermal systems'' after ``enhanced geothermal'' each
place it appears;
(B) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph
(8); and
(C) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:
``(7) Testing of next-generation geothermal systems in
supercritical conditions.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of the Next-Generation Geothermal Research and
Development Act, the Secretary shall take such actions as may
be necessary to ensure that at least 1 FORGE site has the
capabilities to include testing of next-generation geothermal
systems in supercritical conditions.'';
(5) in subsection (d)--
(A) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``and
Closed-loop Geothermal Systems'' after ``Systems''; and
(B) in paragraph (2)(C), by inserting ``and closed-
loop geothermal'' after ``enhanced geothermal''; and
(6) by adding at the end the following:
``(e) Next-Generation Geothermal Research and Development
Program.--
``(1) In general.--Within the Geothermal Technologies
Office of the Department, the Secretary shall support a
program, to be called the `Next-Generation Research and
Development Program', for next-generation geothermal systems
research, development, demonstration, and commercial
application activities.
``(2) Supercritical geothermal.--
``(A) In general.--The program described in
paragraph (1) shall include research on supercritical
geothermal, including on the following topics in
supercritical conditions:
``(i) Well completion.
``(ii) Reservoir creation and management,
including drilling tools, casing production
equipment, proppants, and packers.
``(iii) Materials development and equipment
design, including power production, specific to
supercritical geothermal systems.
``(iv) Sensor development.
``(v) Water-rock geochemistry.
``(vi) Rock properties.
``(vii) Hard rock and deep drilling.
``(viii) Any other topics the Secretary
determines necessary.
``(B) Milestone-based grants.--In carrying out
supercritical geothermal research under the program
described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall award
milestone-based grants for deep drilling projects in
unique geodynamic settings at each of the following
milestones:
``(i) Tectonic crustal stress and fracture
characterization.
``(ii) Laboratory work.
``(iii) Drilling.
``(iv) Flow testing.
``(v) Power production.
``(C) Administration.--The Secretary shall
administer grants to institutions of higher education
and private sector entities to carry out activities on
the topics described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) and,
to the maximum extent practicable, share data, results,
and information publicly.
``(3) Report on water use.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than 5 years after the
date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary
shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources and
the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy
and Natural Resources of the Senate a report on
estimated water withdrawal and consumption of next-
generation geothermal systems.
``(B) Requirements.--The report required under
subparagraph (A) shall include an analysis of--
``(i) the ability of next-generation
geothermal systems to use brackish and non-
potable water;
``(ii) the withdrawal and consumption of
water per megawatt hour of next-generation
geothermal systems, as compared to other power-
generation technologies; and
``(iii) technological and operational
improvements that could lead to decreases in
water withdrawal and consumption of next-
generation geothermal systems.
``(4) Next-generation geothermal center of excellence.--
``(A) Establishment.--The Secretary shall award
grants, through a competitive, merit-reviewed process,
to National Laboratories (as defined in section 2 of
the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801))
(referred to in this paragraph as the `National
Laboratories'), multi-institutional collaborations,
public-private partnerships, State geological surveys,
or institutions of higher education (or consortia
thereof), for the following:
``(i) The continuation and expansion of
research, development, demonstration, testing,
and commercial application activities
applicable to FORGE sites, including activities
in supercritical conditions.
``(ii) The establishment of a next-
generation geothermal systems center of
excellence.
``(B) Location.--In selecting National
Laboratories, multi-institutional collaborations,
public-private partnerships, or institutions of higher
education for the establishment of a center of
excellence under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall
consider the following criteria:
``(i) Whether the institution hosts an
existing geothermal energy research and
development program.
``(ii) Whether the institution has proven
technical expertise to support geothermal
energy research.
``(iii) Whether the institution has access
to diverse geothermal resources to support
next-generation geothermal systems in various
conditions.
``(C) Purpose.--A center of excellence established
under subparagraph (A) shall coordinate among existing
FORGE sites, the Department, institutions of higher
education, and National Laboratories to carry out the
following:
``(i) Advance research, development,
demonstration, and commercial application of
next-generation geothermal systems, including
supercritical geothermal technologies, to
address both fundamental scientific challenges
and industry and commercial needs, including by
partnering with other academic or research
institutions, industry, nongovernmental
organizations, Tribal entities (including
Alaska Native Corporations), and State, local,
or Tribal governments.
``(ii) Foster collaboration for education,
research, and partnership initiatives in order
to support the technology, deployment, and
workforce needs of the United States geothermal
energy industry, including a focus on next-
generation geothermal systems.
``(iii) Support workforce development
across the next-generation geothermal systems
energy development lifecycle.
``(iv) Provide educational, technical, and
analytical assistance on next-generation
geothermal systems to Federal agencies,
industry, and State, local, and Tribal
governments.
``(v) Collect and disseminate information
on best practices in all areas relating to
developing and managing geothermal energy
resources and energy systems, including next-
generation geothermal systems.
``(5) Commercial-readiness innovation grants.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall award grants
to accelerate the development, testing, and
implementation of innovative technologies identified by
in-field operations as areas for improving the
performance of commercial geothermal energy projects
using enhanced geothermal systems and closed-loop
geothermal systems.
``(B) Focus areas.--Grants may be awarded under
this paragraph for innovative technologies, including--
``(i) hardrock drilling equipment,
components, and systems, including bit design
and vibration control;
``(ii) reservoir characterization, well
design and spacing, and completions; and
``(iii) data acquisition and analysis,
including fiber optic sensing tools and
methodologies.
``(C) Applications.--
``(i) In general.--An entity seeking a
grant under this paragraph shall submit to the
Secretary an application at