ARPA-E Funds Eight Superhot Geothermal Projects
Up to $30 million will support research into geothermal wells operating at temperatures above 375C.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Energy
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The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy selected eight projects to receive up to $30 million through its SUPERHOT program for geothermal technologies. The program targets superhot geothermal resources at temperatures above 375C and pressures above 22 megapascals.
Why it matters
The U.S. holds at least 15,000 GW of potential geothermal power beneath its surface, while existing technologies generate less than 4 GW of utility-scale geothermal power. SUPERHOT aims to more than triple the output of individual geothermal wells, which could expand domestic energy supply.
The SUPERHOT program targets resources above 375C and 22 megapascals, and the eight selected projects will share up to $30 million in funding. Current U.S. utility-scale geothermal generation is under 4 GW, while the potential resource is estimated at 15,000 GW, and it remains unresolved whether the funded approaches will reach the program's performance targets.
The players
ARPA-E
The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy is a U.S. Department of Energy office that funds high-risk, high-reward energy technology research.
U.S. Department of Energy
The federal cabinet department responsible for the nation's energy policy, science programs, and nuclear security.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
A U.S. Department of Energy science facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, known for research in materials, energy, and computing.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
A federally funded research laboratory in Livermore, California, operated for the Department of Energy and known for national security and energy research.
Los Alamos National Laboratory
A federally funded research laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, with a long history in energy and national security science.
The details
The selected projects are led by the University of Oklahoma, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, XGS Energy, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the University of Southern California, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Blade Energy Partners. The projects will develop approaches to overcome challenges in well construction and heat transfer, building on ARPA-E's work on Enhanced Geothermal Systems and Advanced Geothermal Systems.
Timeline
November 12, 2026: ARPA-E announced selection of the eight SUPERHOT projects.
2040: Projected delivery of 10-20 GW of baseload geothermal power at less than $30 per megawatt-hour.
Roadmap
SUPERHOT builds directly on ARPA-E's earlier Enhanced Geothermal Systems and Advanced Geothermal Systems programs, extending that work into resources above 375C and 22 megapascals. The program marks a shift toward deeper, hotter reservoirs as a route to multiplying output from each geothermal well.
If the SUPERHOT approaches succeed, geothermal wells could eventually supply baseload power at a projected cost below $30 per megawatt-hour by 2040. For now, the funded work is research and development, and the technologies will not change local power supply in the near term.
The takeaway
Geothermal energy holds a far larger potential resource than current production reveals, and funding for superhot wells targets that gap directly. Progress will depend on whether the selected projects can translate research into wells that deliver substantially more power.
Further reading
For more on federal efforts to expand clean power sources, explore the Energy section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by POWER Magazine.
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